Shimek, Ladislav

Born in the family of a Czech gunsmith. Inherited the profession of a father. In 1935 - 1937 he served in the Czechoslovak army. In the early years of the German occupation, he was a member of the National Association - a mass legal organization of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia . However, he showed no social activity either in collaborationism or in resistance. In 1943 he suffered polio, was forced to be treated for three years.

After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, Ladislav Šimek returned to the pre-war business - he opened a hunting weapon store in Milevsko . He did not directly participate in politics, but adhered to views close to social democracy ^[1] . The February coup of 1948 and the establishment of monopoly power of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KPC), Shimek took negatively, but did not actively resist, continuing to engage in trade.

In April 1949, the sailor of the river fleet, Jiri Rzhezach , the peasant Yaroslav Sirotek, and the worker Bohumil Shima created the anti-communist underground organization Black Lion 777 in Pribram ^[2] . Already in May, activists carried out several sabotage and attacks - incapacitated power lines, fired at the functionary of the CPC, staged an explosion of the CPC office in Sedlchani . In the fall, the organization was faced with a shortage of weapons and ammunition.

Bohumil Shima worked at a factory in Milevsko and knew Ladislav Shimek. He turned to the gunsmith for help, asked for help with barrels and explosives. Hostile to the regime, Shimek agreed. Soon, Shima brought him to the gunman Karel Koteroy - an explosive master who was well versed in the appropriate equipment. Kothera evaluated and accepted the requested materials from Shimek.

The equipment received from Ladislav Shimek made it possible to carry out the largest action of the organization: the explosion of the Committee of the HRC in Milevsko on the night of May 14, 1950 . The building was completely destroyed, a guard from the National Security Corps died.

In the organization “Black Lion 777” Ladislav Shimek was the oldest in age (at the time of his arrest he was 43 years old, while Shime - 26, Sirotec - 30, leader Rzhezach - 26, the rest - 25-31). He was the only one not a worker, a peasant or an employee, but a merchant. Shimek did not directly participate in the shares. Shimek’s organizational connection with the group was the least systemic; contacts with activists were infrequent. The question of whether to consider Shimek a member of the Black Lion 777 or a close business partner, sometimes seems controversial. But the role of Ladislav Shimek in equipping the organization was very significant ^[1] .

July 3 - July 5, 1954 The State Security Service arrested all members of the Black Lion 777 organization. Ladislav Šimek was arrested on July 4 and taken from Milevsko to Ceske Budejovice Prison. He was presented with participation in an anti-state terrorist organization and the supply of underground weapons and ammunition.

The not quite healthy Shimek could not stand the rigorous interrogation and on July 5, recognition was received from him. At the same time, he said that, fulfilling the requests of Shima, he did not know about his membership in an underground group. However, he acknowledged that the nature of the contacts with Koter was obvious to him.

On October 25–26, 1954, a trial took place in Milevsko. Ladislav Shimek spoke vaguely, without a clear recognition or denial of his guilt. He made it clear that he was not fully aware of the consequences of his actions. Basically, he referred to the past serious illness, poor health and asked to assign him a moderate punishment. However, the prosecution considered Shimek’s disease rather as an aggravating circumstance - in the sense that the defendant showed ingratitude to the state, which provided him with medical care.

The court sentenced Ladislav Šimek to 22 years in prison. (The founders of the Black Lion 777, Rzhezach, Sirotek, and Shima, received the death penalty; direct participants in the power actions of Dolista and Novak - life imprisonment; Koter , who repented for 21 years.) ^[2] Sister Ladislav Shimek reminds President Antony Zapototsky of commutation of sentence was ignored.

Jiri Rzhezach, Yaroslav Sirotek and Bohumil Shima were hanged in Prague on February 10, 1955 . Jiri Dolista, Josef Novak and Karel Kotera were sent to the Jáchymov uranium mines. Ladislav Shimek was serving his sentence in prisons. This was reflected in the mitigation of fate due to poor health.

Shimek was originally in Pisek prison. From there he was transferred to the Prague prison Pankrac , then to the prison castle of the Worlds , then to the prison of the city of Leopold . Shimek's condition deteriorated sharply, most of the time he was bedridden. Physical problems were accompanied by severe depression.

Blessed's sister stubbornly tried to obtain pardon for her brother, but her requests remained unanswered. In 1960, the Supreme Court by a special decision excluded Ladislav Šimek from the amnesty.

The last seat of Ladislav Shimek was the prison in Ilawa . April 24, 1962 Ladislav Shimek died ^[1] .

The first attempt at rehabilitating members of the Black Lion 777 organization was made in 1968 , during the Prague Spring . However, the sharp political changes of August 1968 removed this issue.

After the Velvet Revolution , Law 119/1990 was passed - the 1948-1989 regime is considered criminal, and resistance to it is legal and worthy of respect. These provisions apply to Black Lion 777 activists. The 1955 sentence against Ladislav Šimek was canceled. There were no grounds for “residual punishment” (for acts considered criminal offenses in modern Czech Republic), Ladislav Šimek was rehabilitated.