ABSTRACT
On September 3, 1986, Western media reported the arrests of seven leading members of the Prague-based Jazz Section of the Czech Union of Musicians after searches of their homes. The functionaries of the union misinterpreted the instructions from the ministry; rather than merely allowing jazz musicians to join the union on an individual basis, the Czech Musicians' Union allowed the jazz musicians to set up their own independent section. The section held annual Prague Jazz Days and other festivals, as well as organizing lectures and seminars on a variety of art subjects. In 1980 the Jazz Section took a step that subsequently proved of considerable defensive value. It applied for membership at the International Jazz Federation, which was accredited to UNESCO. The leaders of the Jazz Section continued to sell printed matter to their members after the authorities had declared the section disbanded.
