Glossary of Terms
Charter 77 [Charta 77]
Originally the term referred to a document dated January 1, 1977 and signed by 243 Czechoslovak citizens from various walks of life. The document was carefully composed so as not to violate Czechoslovak laws against organized political dissent, concentrating instead on "reminding" the regime of its previous committments to international human rights agreements. On January 7, 1977 the full text of a German translation of the document appeared in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and later in various languages worldwide. The regime's retalliation against signatories of the Charter was harsh, and many Czechoslovaks were pressured to sign an “anti-Charter.” The term “Charter 77” was later used to refer to the loose association of activists who continued to publicize pronouncements on the Czechoslovak government’s violations of civil and political rights, and the movement inspired several international organizations dedicated to protecting human rights and civil society. At its peak the association included some 2,600 signatories.
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