Jiri Ruml, 78; Czech Journalist Edited Illegal Newspaper
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Jiri Ruml, 78, Czech dissident who edited an illegal newspaper during the communist era, died Friday of unstated causes in Prague, Czech Republic.
A journalist for various newspapers and magazines, Ruml was expelled from the Communist Party after he supported Prague Spring, an ill-fated attempt to reform the communist system, in 1968. The career journalist was jailed several times over the years for his anti-communist activities.
Ruml became one of the first dissidents to sign on to -- and serve as spokesman for -- the Charter 77 human rights manifesto drafted by Vaclav Havel.
A dissident himself, Havel later led the peaceful revolution that toppled communist rule in 1989 and became president of the Czech Republic. He awarded Ruml the Medal of Merit in 2001 for his services to the state.
In 1988, Ruml helped relaunch the newspaper Lidove Noviny and became its editor in chief.
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