Memorial service for those unjustly and illegally imprisoned

In cooperation with the Prison and Court Guard Service, a memorial service for those unjustly and illegally imprisoned by the communist regime was held on August 14, 2026, at the memorial plaque of the Leopoldov institution.

Many guests attended this event: Public Defender of Rights Róbert Dobrovodský, Mayor of Leopoldov Terézia Kavuljaková, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nation's Memory Institute Jerguš Sivoš, Auxiliary Bishop of the Bratislava Archdiocese Jozef Haľko, Deputy Director of the Vicariate of the Prison and Court Guard Service of the Ordinariate of the Armed Forces and Armed Corps of the Slovak Republic Štefan Blanár, and others. For the first time, all three organizations representing political prisoners and their families participated in the commemoration. Speeches were given by the Chairman of the Confederation of Political Prisoners of Slovakia Peter Sandtner, the Chairman of Political Prisoners - Union of Anti-Communist Resistance Rafael Rafaj, and the Chairman of the World Association of Former Political Prisoners František Bednár.

The Leopoldov institution became a symbol of all places where thousands of people faced cruel torture and unjust imprisonment supported by the communist regime and state power. Often, they also met their deaths behind prison walls. As the Public Defender of Rights emphasized in his speech - it makes sense to remember if we can also carry it into the present and learn from it. This commemoration served as a reminder that freedom, democracy, and human rights are never to be taken for granted. The stories of people who were persecuted or imprisoned for their opinions remain a testimony from the past and also a warning for the future. Preserving their memory is therefore significant not only as an expression of respect for the victims but also as a reminder of the need to protect democratic values and individual freedoms.