Josef Pavel (18 September 1908 – 9 April 1973) was a Czechoslovak communist politician and military official who served as Minister of Interior of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring.

From a young age, he was involved in left-wing groups and was a member of the Federation of Proletarian Physical Education.

[1] During the Spanish Civil War he left for Spain as a volunteer and military instructor and commander in the Dimitrov Battalion of the International Brigades.

In this capacity, in February he worked to strengthen the party's positions in the National Security Corps and the management of SNB units.

From January 1949 he was Deputy Interior Minister Václav Nosek and received the rank of General of the SNB.

Main hearing The contrived trial took place on 30 December 1953, and Pavel was sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason.

In April 1968, during the Prague Spring, he was appointed Minister of the Interior in Oldřich Černík's government and tried to reform the security forces.