Posted on 09/12/2008 1:42:45 PM PDT by lizol
Trial of Poland's last communist leader for imposing martial law in 1981 begins
By RYAN LUCAS | Associated Press Writer
September 12, 2008
WARSAW, Poland (AP) _ Poland's last communist leader and other former top-ranking officials went on trial Friday for imposing martial law in 1981 as the Soviet-backed regime tried to crush the Solidarity pro-democracy movement.
Prosecutors from the Institute of National Remembrance, a state body that investigates communist-era crimes, read out the official indictment in a packed Warsaw regional court against retired Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, 85, and seven other ex-officials for their role in the crackdown that put tanks on Polish streets.
The defendants are charged with committing "communist crimes," violating the constitution and leading "an organized criminal group of a military nature having as its goal the carrying out of crimes that consisted of the deprivation of freedom through internment."
If convicted, Jaruzelski could face up to 10 years in prison, and the others shorter terms.
In a sign of the still-intense interest in Poland in the crackdown and its authors almost 20 years since the fall of communism, journalists and photographers crammed into the courtroom, and the trial's start was broadcast live on national television.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
About damn time that traitor gets his.
And we have people here in the United States that want to elect one. Obama’s mentors were communists, what do people think he leaned. Same goes for Hillary.
It’s time for John Conyers and his CPUSA pals to protest against this inhumane abuse of power! Indicting a Commie, why, the nerve of those rascally Poles!
I remember that day clearly. I was working at the AP in New York and trying to get a hold of the Warsaw bureau. Nobody knew why we couldn’t reach them, but they had told us something important was going to be happening.
The beginning of the end for European Communism.
Let’s see—one hundred people died in Jaruzelski’s crackdown. Leaders like Lech Walesa stayed alive.
In contrast, the Soviet invasions of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan each killed thousands.
What would any of us have done in Jaruzelski’s position in 1981? I hate to defend a commie, but Jaruzelski did prevent a Soviet invasion of Poland.
Putting the former Soviet butt-boy Jaruzelski on trial is Poland’s way of saying “EFFF YOU” to Moscow for their threats to target Poland with nukes for signing on to the U.S. ballistic missile defense plan.
Interesting. I’m not an expert on this topic, so thanks for the information.
I seem to recall that just a few years ago Putin gave Jaruzelski some kind of medal. Does anyone else have details on this?
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