APPEAL LODGED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 129, 16 March 1950, Page 5

APPEAL LODGED

SENTENCE ON SPV t NEW-YORK, March 14. Valentin Gubitchev, the Russian engineer convicted of espionage, would remain in the United States to fight an appeal, his-attorney said to-day. Gubitchev last Friday was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, but the Government offered to' suspend the sentence if he would accept deportation to Russia and promise to forego his appeal. The defence attorney, Mr Abraham Pomerantz, notified the court to-day that Gubitchev refused to withdraw his appeal. Judge Sylvester Ryan said yesterday that ho did not have authority to suspend Gubitchev’s sentence until the appeal was withdrawn. Until the to-day it had been understood that Gubitchev would leave the United States next Monday. A later message says that Gubitchev decided to-day to withdraw his •appeal, and-accept deportation to Rus-. sia.; He was given suspended sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment on condition that he renounced all right of appeal and-accepted deportation. '- Gubitchev’s latest decision was an abrupt reversal of his announcement yesterday that he would stay in the United States to’’ fight the appeal.