GAOL FOR DR. JOHN

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 3

GAOL FOR DR. JOHN

Treason Charge In Germany (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) KARLSRUHE (West Germany), _ _ , T , December 23. Dr. Otto John, the former West German security chief who went to Communist East Germany, was sentenced to four years’ penal servitude at Karlsruhe yesterday on treason charges. One year of pre-trial detention will be deducted from time to be served. The Court found John guilty of treacherous falsification combined with treasonable plotting. Dr. John, who is 47, disappeared from the West on July 20. 1954. He returned 17 months later and denied charges that he committed treason while in the East. The Public Prosecutor had asked for two years penal servitude. There is no appeal against the verdict and sentence unless John goes to the Supreme Constitutional Court, claiming that his constitutional rights have been infringed. During his month-long trial, Dr. John maintained that he was drugged and kidnapped to be taken to East Germany. He said that he helped in East German propaganda only to keep open a chance of returning to the West. When he crossed to the East John was head of the West German office for protection of the constitution. This is the central counter-intelligence office, designed to counter civil subversion. The court said that John was guilty of treasonable plotting through cooperating with the East German Government in propaganda against West Germany and also of giving information to the Communists which, although Lise, amounted to treason. As he heard the sentence, John’s face went red then sickly pale. He seemed to be only half listening to the long judgment read out after the sentence. He will probably serve his term at Bruchsal prison near Karlsruhe. The Court also ordered him to pay court costs, which will be considerable in view of the length of the trial and because 73 witnesses, six of them experts on various subjects, were heard.