The trial of the comrades of the Czech Revolutionary Socialist Party reconsened on Friday 5th March in the foreboding Palace of Justice at Spalena Ulice, Needless to say, the "judges" were true to their role as cops and avoided the questions that Comrade Uhl, in the name of all the defendants, had asked them.
Out af about 60 seats in the courtroom, 20 were empty, People in Prague wondered what had happened to the special guard-the "workers* delegation-that was there on the first day. Were the cops afraid that revolutionary ideas might even spread in their own ranks? Petr Uhl and his comrades wore hardeuffed and escorted by two heavily armed guard fuach. And outside, in front of the Palace of Justice, cordons of "popular militia" stopped anyone going into the court. Many people had come to demonst rate their solidarity with the defendants. A short distance from the court they organised a demonstration of support, in which the sons of the victims of the '50s trials-Slansky and Slingparticipated, When charged with accusations which try to make out that their revolutionary activity is simply a crime of common law, those on trial have shown real unity. From the first day. Frolik, the spokesman for his comrades, declared that there was no doubt that this was a political trial. He denounced the act of accusation: "How dare you call us anti-socialists when we are led by Marx, Engels and Lenin?" he exclaimed. The judge was su embarrassed he did not reply. And when Frolik denounced the fact that, contrary to the constitution which guarantees treedom of opinion, the 19 defendants are victims of a trial based entirely on opinion, the judge then rebuffed: "You are not on trial for your ideas but for your acts!" But Frotik would not cede: *We have only acted in defence of our ideas." It is over the thesis contained in the 98th article of the Czech penal code, acousing the group of anti socialist activities, that all the comrades have fought with the judges.
The defence has insisted several times on the following question which it has asked the defendants: "Is the defendant for or against the abolition of private ownership of the means of production?"
Oddly the judges find that this question has no relation to the trial.
To definitely conclude the discussion, Comrade Suk, on Wednesday 10th March, asked Petr Uhl: "Do you think that our activity helped imperialism?* The latter replied, pointing to ADS per word; min. & issues, 4d per word.
Displayed Iboxedi: B-point 115 per word 10 point: per word Full page: E1D0 E50 1/8 page: E12 106 page: £25 Write RED MOLE Adi 182 Pentonville Rood, Lordon N1. or phone 01-837 9807 INTERNATIONAL: bimonthly theoretical journal of the IMG (British section of the Fourth International).
March/April 1971 Issoe includes: Women's LIberation, the context and potential of the mowement-Margaret Coulson: Early Yeuns of British Trotskyim-Harry the September War; Trotsky on the Paris Commone:
The Immigration Bill: reviews, etc. One copy costs 15p, L1 per year. Write: International c/o Red Books, 182 Pestille Roal, London N.1, Isternational Day of Solidarity with the IndoChinese Revolation. The VSC is organisog » demonstration for 24th April 1971 in solidarity with the Indo-Chinese Revolation Your help isseeied to nake the demonstration a success The VSC (Vietnam Solidarity Committee) meets every Tuesday in the Queens Arms pub, Penton Street, N.L. 11 you con't attend the meetings, you can still help by making + donation towards the past of the demonstration and by discributing lenflets, stickeri, eic. Phone 435 6806 or write lo VSC. 182 Peotoville Rood, London N.1, ALSO: Speakers who have studied aspects of the war in detail are availabie to speak to meetings, etc. Ring 435 6806, or write: VSC, 182 Pentoeville RA, N.I.
Petr Lift the judge, "We are dealing here with the 40year-old product of Stalinist cooking which has become part of the contemporary myth. The judgo then protested violently: *If you repeat the word Stalinist, the counsel of accusation will be entarged."
What is the use of bureaucratic legality? For over a year the Czech revolutionaries have been in prison. And this has not been long enough for the bureaucracy's henchmen and political advisors to establish any concrete proof of a "plat", like they used to be able to do in the past. They have, however, used the same range of methods as in Slanscy's day: from psychological pressure to moral and physical blackmail. Why were Comrades Hoffman and Taskova only able to stand up for ten minutes at the tribunal? Who is responsible for their state of health? Why is Comrade Frolik now blind?
On Monday Bth March, Comrade Sustrova revealed the way, the judges have been able to "PERSONAL PREFFRENCES" isa FREE magazine force "confessions" out of Thomas Sigmund. The self-criticisms she made strongly resemble those of her fellow defendants in London's book. During her interrogation, the following bargain was proposed to Sustrova: she would be allowed to look after her three-year-old daughter if she first denounced the group for her fiance, who they have bean looking for for several months, was hiding. Isolated in her cell, she eventually gave in. But once the group were reunited in the courtroom, she retracted. What sort of blackmail have they used to get the small confession they did out of Sigmund? It has been this show of solidarity that has forced the judges to sweep aside all formal legality even further. From Monday, only the defendant actually being tried was allowed in the court room?
Having already shown just how much they respect their own law, the judges have deliberate: ly omitted recording the exact words of our comrades. Thus, for example, they have forthe word Petr Uhl used to describe their activity ("Stalinist cooking""). In the same way they have grabbed up Comrade Plogstedt's "confession" tread London, which admits she did handle "subversive" literature. The recorder has replaced the word "Marxist" by "subversive". Do they mean the same thing to the Praque bureaucrats, then?
Police version of history-anticipated On March 8th at 8,30 p.m., Rohacek, a zealous commentator on Radio Prague, gave his own irrefutable proof the accused men's guilt.
Although the trial had only just begun, he already knew the verdict. Among the crimes attributed to the Czech comrades, there are some real gems, such as: first of all -and for a cop joumalist, this is trefutable evidence-the group had contacts with the Fourth Internatio nai. Rohacek, who is certainly up to date, tells us that "the Fourth International's Berlin functionary, Ernest Mandel" was known to be in contact with the Czech revolutionaries. As added proof, he went as far as to read off & list of foreign names (taken from the Cedok travel bureau, no doubt), innocent tourists who have probably never heard of the International.
Another of Rohacek's arguments confirming the existence of an interational plot is an example of how a police conception of history can mean abandoning even the most elementary commo sense. He pointed out that the "Open Letter t the Unified Workers Party of Poland" had bee published in Czech. This, he said, was written by Polish "revisionist and deviationist agitatos Kuron and Modzelewsky. "Who are quite righ in prison in Poland." This eminent dialectici being anti-socialist and then showed them where is quite correct to point out that prisons are t same in Prague and Warsaw.
In the "50s there was no need for people lil Rohacek & Co. because the "confessions" we broadcast direct over the radio. Today, these are luxuries that the bureaucrats cannot allon themselves. Because these dufendants will not admit anything. Their sole defence is their res lutionary programme, and this defence is an accusation against the bureaucracy. The combativity and courage of the defendants has aroused the admiration of the people of Pragi Hundreds of workers, students and intellectu have come forward; aren't the trials public? the police, while scared that some of their re lutinnary ideas are spreading among their ow gotten land we understand their bad memories) ranks, are keeping the court well guarded, and even reinforced the cordons when Petr Uhi w on triat.4 Confronted with this tribunal of burea crats, the revolutionaries continue to struggle for socialism. -D. Richard, E. Mathias NOTES 1 The same one who massacred tha Parish worker the Baltic coest. 2 Johannes Agnali, left-wing teacher at the Berlin Free University, who came as an observer on the request of Sibylls Plogstadt, was refused eatry on i pretext which makes even Porpidou's judges seem tame: "As the jury's debate is public, there is no ni for you to atrend." Isic] 3 We can teach these gentlemen that this docume wes published by the students parlia Trin POSTSCRIPT: The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation is at the moment attempting to send a commission to ge to Prague, consisting of eminent perso lities such as Chomsky, Lawrence Dals Maurice Dobb, Eric Hobsbawm, Christ pher Hill. While the terms of reference the commission are a bit vague, it is te hoped that they will demand to see Comrade Petr Uhl and inquire into the circumstances of the trial.