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Report of Court Proceedings - Anti-Soviet Trotskyite Centre (1937 Moscow Trial) PDF

586 Pages·1937·31.274 MB·English
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PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF JUSTICE OF THE U.S.S.R. REPORT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF THE ANTI-SOVIET TROTSKYITE CENTRE Heard Before The MILITARY COLLEGIUM OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE U.S.S.R. Moscow, January 23-30, 1937 IN RE: Y. L. Pyatakov,K. B.Radek,G. Y.Sokolnikov, L. P.Serebryakov, N. I. Muralov, Y. A. Livshitz, Y. N. Drobnia, M. S. Bogualavaky, I. A. Knyazev, S. A. Rataichak, B. 0. Norkin, A. A. Shestov, M. S. Stroilov, Y. D. Turok, I. Y. Hrasche, G. E. Pushin, V. V. Arnold Accused of trnson against the country, espionage, act; of diversion, wrecking activities and the preparation of terrorist act•, i.e., of crimes covered by Articles 58 I a, 588, 589an<l 5811 of thP Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R. VERBA TIM REPORT • Published by the PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF JUSTICE OF THE u.s.S.R. MOSCOW 1937 This is a translation of the verbatim report of the proceed ings of the ~Iilitary Collegium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R., January 23 to January 30, 1937, in the case of the anti-Soviet Trotskyite centre. Re the session of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. held in camera on January 27, 1937, this volume contains a communication for the press approved by the President of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. CONTENTS Page MORNING SESSION, JANUARY 23 Opening of the Trial -· 1 Indictment 4 Examination of the Accused Pyatakov 21 EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 23 Examination of the Accused Pyatakov (Resumed) . 46 Examination of the Witness Bukhartsev 77 MORNI~G SESSION, JANUARY 24 Examination of the Accused Radek 82 EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 24 \ Examination of the Witness Romm 136 Examination of the Accused Radek (Resumed) 146 Examination of the Accused Sokolnikoo 146 Examination of the Accused Serebryakou 168 'MORNIKG SESSION, JANUARY 25 Examination of the Witness Loginov 176 Examination of the Accused Boguslavskg 192 Examination of the Accused Drobnis 205 EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 25 Examination of the Accused Muralov 216 Examination of the Accused Shestov 233 MORNING SESSION, JANUARY 26 Examination of the Accused Shestov (Resumed) 261 Examination of the. Accused Stroilov 26'1 Examination of the Accused Norkin 27~ Examination of the Witness Stein 292 EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 26 Questions submitted to the Expert Witnesses 300· Examination of the Accused Arnold 302 •. Examination of the Accused Livshitz 333 MORl'\ING SESSION, JANUARY 27 Examination of the Accused Kgnazev 358 Examination of the Accused Turok . 392 Examination of the Accused Rataichak 398 -EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 27 Examination of the Accused Rataichak (Resumed) 416 Examination of the Accused Hrasche 421 Examination of the Accused Pushin · ·. 434 Examination of the Witness Tamm 439 Additional Questions addressf!d to Pyatakov and f?/idek 442 Replies from Expert Witnesses 446 Session in Camera 461 EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 28 Speech for the Prosecution by A. Y. Vyshinsky, Pro- curator of the U.S.S.R. 462 Speech for the Defence by l. D. Braude 516 Speech for the Defence by S. K. Kaznachegev 522 MORNING SESSION, JANUARY 29 Speech for the Defence by N. V. Kommodov 5~0 Last Plea of the Accused Pyatakov 539 Last. Plea of the Accused Radek 540 Last Plea of the Accused Sokolnikov 551 Last Plea of· the Accused Serebryakov "'"" 556 Last Plea of the Accused Boguslavsky ~.::-- ._557 Last Plea of the Accused Drobnis 559 Last Plea of the Accused Muralov 560 Last Plea of the Accused Norkin 561 Last Plea· of the Accused Shestov ,62 Last Plea of the Accused Stroilov 563 _EVENING SESSION, JANUARY 29 (CONTINUED UNTIL THE MOR NING OF JANUARY 30) Last Plea of the Accused Arnold . 566 Last Plea of the Accused Livshitz '566 Lasi Plea of the Accused Knyazev :·· - .-· . ~ ·-567 Last Plea of the Accused Turok 569 Last Plea of the Accused Rataichak 570 Last Plea of the Accused Hrasche 572 I , Last Plea of the Accused Pushin 573 The Verdict 574 REPORT ·oF COURT PROCEEDINGS COMPOSITION OF THE COURT PRESIDENT: Army Military Jurist V. V. ULRICH President of the Military Collegium of the · Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. MEMBERS OF THE COURT: Army Corps Military Jurist I. 0. MATULEVICH Vice-President of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. Divisional Military Jurist N.M.RYCHKOV Member of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. SECRETARY: Military Jurist of First Rank A. F. KOSTYUSHKO STATE PROSECUTOR: A. Y. VYSHINSKY ~-- .. THE DEFENCE: I. D. BRAUDE N. V. KOMMODOV S. R. KAZN.~CHEYEV Members of the Moscow Collegium of Defence MORNING SBSSION, JANUARY 23, 1937, 12.05 P. M. Commandant of· the Court: The Court is coming, please rise. The President: I hereby open the Court sessiO!Il of the Military: Coll~ium of the Supreme Court of the U.S.S.R. The trial is of Pyatakov, Radek, Sokolnikov, Serebryakov, Llvshitz, Muralov, Drobnis, Boguslavsky, Knyazev, Rataichak, Norkin, Shestov, Stroilov, Turoik, Hrasche, Pushin and Arnold on charges of ,treason against the country, espionage, committing acts -0f diversion, and the preparation of terrorist acts, i.e., of crimes· covered by Articles 581a., 588, 589 and 5811 of the Criminal Code -0f the R.S.F.S.R. . [At the request of the President, the Secretary reports that all the accus~ in the trial are present in the dJOck, that the witnesses -summoned-D. P. Bukhartsev, V. G. Romm, F. F.- Loginov, L. E. Tamm and A. M. Stein-are in the wjtnesses' room and that en gineers P. A. Lekus, B. N. POlkrovsky and Y. M. Monosovich, who have been summoned as expert witnesses, are present in Court.1 The President: Accused Pyatakov, Yuri (Georgi) Leonidovich, horn 1890, have you received a oopy of the indictment? Pyatakov: Yes, I have. · · The President: Accused Sokolnikov, Grigori Yakovlevich, born . 1888, have you .received a copy of the indictment? · . Sokolnikov: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Radek, Karl Berngardovich, born 1885, have you received a copy of the indictment? · Radek: Yes, I have. · The President: Accused Serehry.a-kov, Leonid Petrovich, born 1888, have you received a copy of the indictment? Serebryakov: Yes, I have. The President: Accused .Livsihitz, Yakov Ahramovkh, born 1896, have you received a copy oif the indictment? Livshitz: Yes, I have. The President: Accu.Sed Murafov, Nikolai Ivanovich,-born 18_77. bave you received a copy of the indictment? M uralov: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Drabnis, Yakov ~aumovich, born 1891, have you received a copy of the indictment? 1 Drobnis: Yes, I have. Thi: President: Accused Boguslavsky, !'lfikhail Solomonovich, born 1886, have you received a copy of the indictment? Boguslavsky: Yes, I have. - The Pnsident: Accused Knyazev, Ivan Alexandrovich, born 1893, have you received a copy of the indictment? Knyazev: Yes, I have. The President: ·Accused Rataichak, Stanislav Antonovioh, born 1894, have you received a copy of the indictment? Rataichak: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Norkin, Boris Osipovich, born 1895, have you received a copy of the indictment? Norkin: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Shestov, Alexei Alexandrovkh, bora 1896, have you received a copy of the indictment? Shestov: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Stroilov, Mikhail Stepanovich, born 1899, have you receivedi a copy of the indictment? Stroilov: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Turok, Yosif Dmitrievich, born 1900~ have you received a copy of the indiictment? Turok: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Hrasche, Ivan Yosifovich, born 1886~ have you received a copy of the indiictment? Hrasche: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Pushin, Gavriil Yefremovt-ch, born 1896, have you received a copy of the indictment? · ---- . Pushin: Yes, I have. The President: Accused Arnold, Valentin Volfridovich, alias Va.silyev, Valentin Vasilyevich, is your real name Vasilyev or Arnold? Arnold: Vasilyev. The President: Name and patronymic? Arnold: Valentin Vasilyevich. The Pr_fsident: Born 1S94? Arnold: Yes. The President: Have you received a copy of the indictment? Arnold: I have. ---- -- -- --- The President: I announce the composition of the Court: Pre.si.-- dent-Army Military Jurist, President of the Military Collegium, -v. V. Ulrich, Members of the Court-Army Corps Military Jurist .I. 0. Matulevich and Divisional Military Jurist N. M. Rychkov. -Are there any objections to the composition of the Court? [The accused reply in the negative.] 2 The prosecution is conducted by the Procurator of the U.S.S.R., Comrade A. Y. Vyshinsky. The accused Knyazev is defended by Counsel Braude, Member _of the Collegium of Defence; the accused Pushin is defended by Counsel Kommodov, Member of the Collegium of Defence; the ac cused Arnold is defended by Counsel Kaznacheyev, Member of the Collegium of Defence. Upon receiving the indictment, the accused Pyatakov, Radek, Sokolnikov, Serebryakov, Livshitz, Muralov, Drobnis, Boguslav sky, Rataichak, Norkin, Shestov, Stroilov, Turok and Hrasehe de clined the services of counsel for defence and declared that they would conduct their own defence. I consider it necessary once more to ask the accused I have named, who prevfously declined the ser vices of counsel for defence, whether they desire· to be represented by counsel. (Turning to the accused.) Perhaps any of ·you has changed his mind and desires counsel for defence? Vgshinsky: I request that you ask each one separately. The President: Accused Pyatakov, do you desire counsel for defence? Pyatakov: No. The President: Accused Sokolnikov, do you desire counsel for defence? Sokolnikov: No. The President: Accused Radek, do you desire c0UI1Jsel for defence? Radek: No. The President: Accused Serebryakov, do you desire oounsel for defence? · . · · Serebrgah>V: No. The President: Aocused Livshitz, do you desire counsel for defence?· · Livshitz: No. The President: Accused Muralov, do you desire counsel for defence? Muralov: No. The President: Accused Drobnis, do you Elesire counsel for defence? Drobnis: No~ _ . The President: Accwsed BoguslaV'sky, do you desire counsel for defence? Boguslavsky·: No. . . The President: Accused Rataichak, do you deSire· oounsel for defence? · Ratai.chak: Ne. 3 The President: Accused Norkin, do you desire counsel for defence? Norkin: No. The President: Accused Shestov, do you desire counsel for :defence? Shestov: No. The President: Aocused Stroilov, do you desire counsel for defence? . Stroilov: No. The President: Accused Turok, do you desire colU1.Sel for defence? Turok: No. The President: Accused Hra.sclle, do you desire counsel for defence? Hrasche: No. The President: I must ex:p1ain to t!he accused who:havie d~lined couooel for defence that in addition to the other rights of the ac-. cused which I will presently explain, they are entitled to speak in their defence after the speech for the prosecution. I must explain to all the accused that they have the right to put questions to the witnesses, experts, and to the other accused, and also to submit explanations on any question that may form the subject of investigation by the Court. Has the State Prosecutor any request to make? Vyshinsky: No. The President: Have the Counsel for Defence? Counsel for Defence: (Reply in the negative.) "'":': The President: Have the accused any requests to ma:Ire re~::-. ing the summoning of witnesses or the inclusion of any documents in the materialc; of the trial? The Accused: (Reply in the negative.) The President: Comrade Secretary, read the indictment, pleas~.,, [The Secretary of the Court, A. F. Ko.styus!hko, reads the in- dictment.] INDICTMENT in the case of Y. L. Pyatakov, K. B. Radek, G. Y. Sokolnikov, L. P. Serebryakov, N. I. Muralov, Y. A. Livshitz, -Y. N~ Dr..ol>JJ(s, __ M. S. Boguslavsky, I. A. Knyazev, S. A. Rataichak, B. 0. Norkin, A. A. Shestov, M. S. Stroilov, Y. D. Turok, I. Y. Hrasche, G. E. Pu s.bin and V. V. Arnold, aecused of treason against the eountry, espionage, committing acts of diversion, wrecking activities and fhe preparation of terrorist acts, i.e., of crimes covered by Articles .:5s1a, 58'5, 589 and 5811 of the Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R. 4

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