Czech revolution icon Vaclav Havel dies

Freedom icon and Czech ex-president Vaclav Havel, who steered his country peacefully to independence from Soviet rule, died aged 75 on Sunday, drawing a wave of tributes from around the globe. Accolades poured in for the statesman and playwright hailed as a "great European" and the "soul of the Czech revolution" that toppled communism in his country. Mourners held candle-light vigils across the Czech Republic, with an ad hoc memorial erected on Prague's central Wenceslas Square, the focal point of anti-communist rallies in 1989, and at Prague Castle, the seat of Czech presidents. The one-time dissident passed away in his sleep at dawn at his weekend home in the village of Hradecek, about 140 kilometres (87 miles) northeast of Prague, after a lengthy illness, his secretary Sabina Tancevova said. "In his last moment, his wife Dagmar was with him, together with one of the nuns who have been taking care of him in recent months," she added. Havel, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and of its successor Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003, had long battled poor health, partly caused by the five years he spent in communist-era jails. Once a chain smoker, Havel grappled with respiratory problems since he had part of a lung removed in 1996 to treat cancer. President Vaclav Klaus said Havel had become a symbol of the modern Czech state. "His personality, name and work substantially helped the Czech Republic swiftly become a part of the community of free and democratic countries," he added. Under Havel's presidency, the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999. He was also largely responsible for steering the country's entry into the European Union in 2004. Klaus's office said a state funeral would be held for Havel, whose coffin will be on display Monday and Tuesday in a Prague church, before moving to Prague Castle on Wednesday. The CTK news agency said Havel's funeral would likely be held on Friday. The centre-right Czech government said it would hold an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Monday to decide on national mourning for Havel. "His peaceful resistance shook the foundations of an empire, exposed the emptiness of a repressive ideology, and proved that moral leadership is more powerful than any weapon," US President Barack Obama said in a tribute. British Prime Minister David Cameron said Havel had "devoted his life to the cause of human freedom" and "led the Czech people out of tyranny". "Europe owes Vaclav Havel a profound debt," Cameron said in a statement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, also hailed Havel as a "great European" whose "fight for freedom and democracy was as unforgettable as his great humanity". Poland's former president Lech Walesa, who like Havel went from anti-communist dissident to become head of state after the 1989 peaceful collapse of communism, told AFP: "His voice will be greatly missed in Europe, especially now when it's in great crisis." Church bells rang in unison across the Czech Republic on Sunday evening, as people lit candles and lay flowers at impromptu vigils. Havel was born in Prague on October 5, 1936 into a wealthy family which lost its assets as the communists took power in 1948. He established himself as a leading figure on the scene of Czechoslovakia's "theatre of the absurd", a movement of primarily European playwrights, in the 1960s, before being banned from theatres after the Soviet-led invasion of the country in 1968. He was responsible for drawing up Charter 77, a 1977 manifesto challenging the communists to live up to their promise to respect human rights, and kept fighting the regime that sent him to prison for almost five years. As communism was toppled in the peaceful Velvet Revolution, Havel was the first choice for top job in Czechoslovakia, which split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. His favourite motto went: "Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred." Havel's health woes stemmed from chain smoking, lung cancer and a poorly treated case of pneumonia he suffered while jailed by the communist regime in the 1980s for dissident activity. Earlier this year, he was taken to hospital with acute bronchitis, from which he never fully recovered. This summer, Havel retreated to his country home to convalesce, only briefly returning to Prague to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on December 10. Havel married actress Dagmar Veskrnova, 20 years his junior, in 1997, following the death of his first wife Olga a year earlier. He had no children.