Polish Plotters on Trial: The Full Report of the Trials of the Polish Diversionists in Moscow - June, 1945

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THE FULL REPORT OF THE TRIALS OF THE POLISH DIVERSIONISTS IN MOSCOW - - - JUNE, 1945

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is the hallmark of a pamphlet dealing with the US SR is,~ued by the RU SS IA TO D AY SO CI ET Y, and written by an authority on the subiect.

Fisrt

Ptt"f>lis~

P O L IS H P L O

: I ...4.ugust. 1945.

ERS O N T R IA L .

RE CE NT PU BL IC AT IO NS of the

RU SS IA TO DA Y SO CI ET Y SO VIE T RU SS IA AN D TH E BA LT IC RE PU BL ICS ... (By Philip Farr)

1/6

A TO Z OF- rH E SO VIE T UN IO N:

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Fac ts and Fig ure s (By Alex Page)

PO LA ND OU R NE IG HB OU R (By N: Baltiiski) ...

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9d .

PL AN NE D RE CO NS TR UC TIO N IN TH E u.s .s. R. ... (By ]. G. Kek'l1ick)

6d.

ST OR Y OF SO VIE T AV IAT IO N (By Ken Craven) ...

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6d .

WI LF RID RO BE RT S, M.P.~ IN RU SS IA : A Lib era l Vie w of the U .S.S .R. . .. .. . . .. .. . .. .

6d.

SO VIE T MI LL ION AIR ES (By Reg. Bishop) ...

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Prilnted and Published Jor lflJ

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Rms ia Todav Societv. 150. Sm1thamvtim Row. Londoo. W.C .I. Metc alfe &: COVef', Ltd. (T.U . all dept.s. ~ 10-24 . Scru tf.on Street. Loo ffon . E.C .2.

INTRODUCTION HE trial of sixteen Polish plotters in Moscow on June 18 this year oid more to throw light on the sinister activities of the Polish emigres in London than anythin g that has happen ed previously. The fact that this trial coincided with a meeting in Moscow of represen tatives of the Warsaw Govern ment with other democr atic Poles from London and from inside Poland, was taken by many to be a bad omen for the success of fthe negotiations. Actuall y, the very reverse proved to be true. The revelations of the manner in whi~h the London emigres had abused the hospita lity of the British Govern ment, and used the radio facilities allowed them in this country for keeping in commu nication with anti-Sov iet undergr ound forces in the Red Army's rear, and the fact that these latter organised and carried through acts of assassin ation against Red Ar1-ny men and other deeds of violence made it abunda ntly clear that Arciszewski and his gang had to go. Some people have complai ned that the trial pu~. Britain in a bad light, as tne country which harbour ed its ally's enemies. That is unfortunat~. But the Soviet Govern ment cannot be blamed for protecti ng itself against crimes which, carried out in the rear of any occupying force anywhe re in the world, would, be punisha ble \vith the utmost severity. In a letter to the Manchester Guardian, Mr. Arthur J. Cummings, the well-known publicist, reminde d the editbria l writer of that paper that '' most of the prisoners had openly confessed to crimes for which, if commit ted in· the Anglo-American war zones, they would undoub tedly have been shot." It is more than unfortu nate that Mr. Eden should have been so ready to ·accept the word of the emigre 1officials in London that the prisoner s were men ideally suitable to be in the new Polish Government, and that he should have broken off negotiat ions on Poland with the U.S.S.R. because the sixteen had been arrested . The trial is over and sentenc e remarka bly light in most irtstances -has been passed. In this volume will be found a full semi-ve rbatim report of the proceedings. The conclusion of the trial coincided almost exactly with the emergence of a pew Govern ment for Poland, the most truly represen tative tHat country has ever had. The road is no\v open with the Polish question no longer a vital issue, for relation s between the U.S.S.R. and her Western Allies to be put on a sounder basis than ever before. Said Generalissimo Stalin recently to the Dean of Canterb ury, '' \Ve . . want to keep firm the union •of our countries, not only in words but deeds . . . if your R.B. politicia ns \vill, we \Vill do it."

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N Ju n e 18, a t 11 .1 0 h o u rs , in th e O ct o b er H a ll o f th e H o u se o f th e U n io n s in Moscow, in a n o p en C o u rt session, th e M il it ar y Collegium o f th e S u p re m e C o u rt · o f th e U .S .S.R. b e g a n th e tr ia l in th e ca se of O k u li ck i, Ja n k o w sk i, B ie n , Ja si u k o w ic z a n d o th er s, 16 in all, ac cu se d of b ei n g o rg an is er s, le ad er s a n d p a rti c ip a n ts in su b v er si v e u n d e rg ro u n d a c ti v it y in th e re a r o f th e R e d A rm y o n th e te rr it o ry of th e W e st e rn R eg io n s of 13yelorussia a n d th e U k ra in e, L it h u a n ia a n d P o la n d , w h er e th e y a c te d a g a in st· S o v ie t tr o o p s o n in st ru ct io n s fr o m th e so-called P q li sh em ig re '' G o v er n m e n t '' in Lonc\on. · All th e ac cu se d w er e p re se n t w it h th e ex ce p ti o n o f A n to n P a jd a k who,. o w in g to illness, w as u n a b le to a p p e a r in ·c o u rt . T h e C o u rt re co g n is ed a s v a! id th e re as o n fo r h is ab se n ce . T h e p re si d in g j-qdge is Co,l. -Gen. of 1u st ic e U lr ic h , C h ai rm an o f th e Collegium of th e S u p re m e C o u rt o f th e U .S .S .R . H e an n o u n ce d th a t th e ac cu sa ti o n ag ai n st O k u li ck i a n d th e o th er s. is su p p o rt e d b y th e Chief P ro c u ra to r o.f th e R e d A rm y , M aj .- G en . o f Ju st ic e A fa n as sy ev , a n d S ta te Councillq r of Ju st ic e R u d en k o . T h e ac cu se d ar e d ef en d ed b y th e p ro m in e n t la w y er s _B ra u d e, M ik h al sk y , Milovidov, K az n ac h ey ev , Markew ich, O ts ep a n d P le v ak o . T h e C o u rt tr y in g th e ea se o f O k u li ck i a n d th e o th er s is co m p o se d o f : P re si d e n t o f th e C o u rt P re si d e n t o f th e M il it ar y Collegium of th e S u p re m e C o u rt of th e U .S.S.R. Col.-Gen . . of Ju st ic e U lr ic h ;. a n d M em b er s o f th e C o u rt m em b er s o f th e M il it ar y Collegium o f th e S u p re m e C 9 u rt o f th e U .S ..S.R. Maj.-Gen . o f Ju st ic e D m it ri y e v , Colonel of Ju st ic e D e ti st o v a n d R es er v e M em b er of th e C o u rt Colonel o f Ju st ic e S y u ld in . A cc u se d O k u li ck i re q u e st e d th~ su m m o n in g o f a d d it io n a l witnesses. T h e C o u rt ru le d th a t th is q u es ti o n b e d ec iq ed in th e co u rs e o f th e C o u rt p ro ce ed in g s. T h e n th e In d ic tm e n t w as re ad . 4

THE INDICTMENT N D IC T M E N T : accusing, L eo p o ld Blaze wicz O k u li ck i, Ja n S ta n is la w Jo si fo w ic z Ja n k o w sk i, A d am V al en ti ew ic z B ie n , S ta n is la'Y Ig n ati ew ic z Jas iu k o w ic z - w it h b ei n g the o rg an is er s a n d le ad er s of th e P o li sh u n d e rg ro u n d in th e re a r o f th e R e d A rm y o n th e te rr it o ry of th e W es te rn R eg io n s o f B y el o ru ss ia , th e U k ra in e, in L it h u a n ia a n d P o la n d ; w it h ca rr y in g o u t, ac co rd in g to th e in st ru ct io n s of th e so -c al le d 2

Polish emigre ''Government'' in London, direct subversive work against the Red Arrny and the Soviet U11ion: • with carrying out terrori~t acts against officers and men of the Red Army; \Vith orga!lising diversions and attacks by underground armed detachments ; · with carrying on propaganda inimical to the Soviet Union and the Red Army; . defendant Okulicki being also accused of carrying out intelligence . and espionage work in the rear of the Red Army ; and Anton Juzefowicz Paj.dak, Kazimierz Wo~eechowicz Puzak, Alexander Kazimierowicz Zweriinski, Kazimierz Stanislawowicz Baginski, Stanislaw Francewicz Mierzwa, Zbignew Francewicz Stypulkowski, Ewgeni Stanisla)Vicz Czarnowski, Josif J\ntonowicz ;Efacinski, 'Franc Andrejewicz Urbanski, Stanisla'v Francewicz Mihalowski, Kazimierz Samuilowicz Kobylianski and Josif Henrichowicz Stemler-Dombski with participating in subversive work of the Polish" underground organisations on the territory of Poland in the rear .of the Red Army, and being cognisant of non-fulfilment by the leaqers of· the underground of the orderst of the Soviet Mil.itary Command concerning surren