Vaclav Havel mourned by world leaders and ordinary Czechs

World leaders and ordinary citizens mourned the death of former Czech president Vaclav Havel at his funeral in Prague’s cathedral of St. Vitus, the BBC reports. Havel, who helped lead the overthrow of communism in the former Czechoslovakia, died on Sunday at age 75 after a long respiratory illness. Among the mourners at his funeral were US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, her husband and former US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and the presidents of Germany and France. A former playwright who released satirical publications condemning the old communist guard, Havel was imprisoned for ‘anti-state activity’ after the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia and was a long-time foe of the Soviet regime. After the fall of communism in 1989, he went from political prisoner to president of Czechoslovakia, only to see the country dissolve into Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1992. He resigned briefly, but was re-elected President of the Czech Republic, a post he held until 2003.

BBC