Pietermaritzburg trial

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32886, 8 April 1972, Page 17

Pietermaritzburg trial

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PIETERMARITZBURG, April 7. The 13 South African nonwhites found guilty earlier this week of conspiracy under the Terrorism Act have been given prison sentences of between five and eight years. Five of those found guilty of joining in a conspiracy to commit certain acts endangering the maintenance of law and order in South Africa received eight years sentences; three were sentenced to six years; two to seven; and the three others, to five. The nine African, two Indian and two Coloured (mixed race) defendants had been convicted of joining a conspiracy with the com|mon purpose of overthrow-

ing the Government by force of arms. They had all pleaded not guilty. During the two-day reading of his judgement, Justice James rejected allegations of police torture, but he did note that many witnesses were detained in solitary confinement "until such time as they were willing to make a statement to the police which was considered satisfactory.” Others, he said, were subjected to long spells of interrogation. The fudge granted application for leave to appeal. “I am sufficiently humble to believe that another court examining the voluminous record afresh might come to a different conclusion on some, of the essential parts,” he| said.