Ivo Žďárek Explained

Ivo Žďárek
Ambassador From:Czech Republic
Country:Vietnam
Term Start:2004
Term End:August 2008
Predecessor:Luboš Nový
Successor:Michal Král
President:Václav Klaus
Ambassador From2:Czech Republic
Country2:Pakistan
Term Start2:August 2008
Term End2:20 September 2008
Predecessor2:Alexandr Langer
Successor2:Pavol Šepeľák
President2:Václav Klaus
Birth Date:6 November 1960
Birth Place:Trutnov, Czechoslovakia
Death Place:Islamabad Marriott Hotel, Pakistan
Nationality:Czech
Alma Mater:Stanford University

Ivo Žďárek (6 November 1960  - 20 September 2008) was a Czech diplomat. He died in the fire in the aftermath of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing trying to rescue people from the burning building.[1]

Early life

He studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Moscow, at the Charles University in Prague, at Stanford University, and the Czech Diplomatic Academy.[2] He had a wife, Jana, and two children.[3]

Diplomatic career

Žďárek worked at various diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic in Asia. He served as consul-general in Shanghai, People's Republic of China from 1995 to 1999.[3] From 2004 to August 2008, he was the ambassador in Vietnam. He then became the ambassador to Pakistan.

Death

Žďárek survived the bombing of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, but went in to help other survivors get out of the burning building. He called with his mobile phone asking to be rescued but was unable to escape the blaze.[1]

Žďárek's body was returned to his country. A ceremony paying homage to him was held at Prague's airport.

"We are all very saddened, we always appreciated the ambassador’s work considerably."

– Czech President Václav Klaus

The ceremony was attended by Žďárek's family and Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Czech envoy died helping Pakistan hotel bomb victims: report . . 23 September 2008 . 27 April 2014 . 24 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924204339/http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/czech-envoy-died-helping-pakistan-hotel-bomb-victims-report/2008/09/23/1221935582019.html . live .
  2. http://www.mzv.cz/wwwo/default.asp?id=60861&ido=4948&idj=2&amb=36&ParentIDO= His CV at the Czech embassy in Pakistan
  3. Web site: Trapped ambassador called for help - Newspaper - DAWN.COM. 22 September 2008. 22 September 2008. 24 September 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080924145730/http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/22/top13.htm. live.
  4. News: Body of Czech ambassador arrives in Prague . . 24 September 2008 . 24 September 2008 . 27 September 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080927072632/http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/24/top13.htm . live .