Threat Made To Shoot Soviet Minister In N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 1

Threat Made To Shoot Soviet Minister In N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 29.

The police are investigating a threat to shoot the Soviet Minister in New Zealand, Mr B. I. Dorofeev—a threat made in an unsigned note posted to the “Dominion” newspaper’s branch manager in Palmerston North, Mr P. B. Weldon.

The message, printed in capitals with a blue ball-point pen, said:

“This note is to warn Dorofeev that he will be shot at if Dubcek is harmed or taken from Government office.”

Enclosed with the note was a headline clipped from a daily newspaper which said: “Tell the world, we hate the Russians.”

There was also a copy of a newspaper ckrtoon featuring a uniformed Russian soldier.

Mr Dorofeev today would not comment on the threat. The First Secretary and press attache at the Russian Legation, Mr Evgeny Pozdnyakov, said, when asked what precautions were being taken: “It is up to the police to take precautions. We cannot comment on anything like this.” 1

No threatening letters had been received at the Legation during the Czechoslovak crisis, he said. The Palmerston North police took possession of the letter and clippings this afternoon.

Detective Senior-Sergeant D. J. Dwan said that It was “anyone’s guess” if the sender were serious about carrying out the threat. A senior police officer in Wellington said uniformed policemen had been on duty at the Russian Legation since the outbreak of trouble in Czechoslovakia. "As a general principle, we would take steps to protect any person’ at all to whom threats were made,” he said.