On Saturday, 23 May 2026, shortly after his 79th birthday, Brigadier General Dr. Petr Zeman passed away.

Brigadier General Petr Zeman was a former member of the Institute of Strategic Studies at the University of Defence and a long-standing member of the editorial board of the university journal Defence & Strategy. Throughout his life, he was known not only for his professional expertise, but also for his personal courage, integrity, and steadfast commitment to democratic values.

He was one of the prominent figures of the Brno dissident community and a signatory of Charter 77. After the Velvet Revolution, he contributed to the establishment and development of the Security Information Service, the Czech civilian counterintelligence service, where he later served as director of the Brno regional branch. From 1998 to 2001, he held the position of Director of the Office for Foreign Relations and Information, the Czech civilian foreign intelligence service.

In the years that followed, he continued his work at what is now the University of Defence and remained active in the academic sphere. Later, he also served as an independent security expert and consultant. He was the principal author of the highly regarded specialist publication Czech Security Terminology, which remains an important and respected work in its field.

In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Medal of Merit, Second Class, in 2002. One year later, he received the Jaroslav Janda Prize, awarded by the National Security Council. In 2024, President Petr Pavel promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General, retired.

The final farewell to Brigadier General Dr. Petr Zeman will take place on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Crematorium of the City of Brno.

With respect and gratitude, we honour his memory.

Author: PhDr. Libor Frank, Ph.D.

Photo by Security Outlines