Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová awards Czech victim of Communism Milada Horáková

Bratislava, Jan 2 (CTK) – Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová awarded late Czech politician Milada Horáková a victim of a 1950 Communist show trial, with a senior Slovak decoration today.

In all, Čaputová decorated 20 personalities, including the Slovaks who contributed to the Velvet Revolution, which toppled the Communist regime in 1989.

Awards were also given to two World War Two resistance fighters as well as representatives of artistic and social life.

The award-giving ceremony was held on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of independent Slovakia, celebrated on January 1.

Čaputová gave the White Double-Cross, first class order, to lawyer and democratic politician Horáková. This is the top Slovak decoration for a foreigner.

Horáková was executed for espionage and treason.

Due to her defiance at the trial, Horakova became a symbol of resistance to the Communist totalitarian regime.

Čaputová also decorated the personalities associated with the fall of the Communist regime, Peter Zajac, Frantisek Miklosko and Zuzana Mistrikova.

State decorations were also given to resistance fighters Branislav Tvarozek and Martinec Janec, the first Roma doctor in Czechoslovakia, Jan Cibula, in memoriam, film director Rudolf Urc and cameraman Igor Luther.

Čaputová also decorated virologist Silvia Pastorekova, former head of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra Alzbeta Rajterova and former successful athlete Jozef Plachy.

Čaputová said Slovakia had exceptional people with exceptional contribution to the homeland.

Čaputová’s predecessor Andrej Kiska decorated 30 personalities a year ago. The list included Czech actor Josef Abrham and, in memoriam, Czech politician and lawyer Dagmar Buresova.