Ginsburg faces 10 years jail

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 9

Ginsburg faces 10 years jail

NT FA - Reuter Moscow The Soviet dissident. Alexander Ginsburg, a member, of the Moscow "Helsinki” human-rights group, has | been charged with antiSoviet agitation and; couk face up to 10 years in a labour camp,; dissiient sources have said. They said that K.G.B. security police had revealed the charges against Ginsburg who was arrested last Febnary, while questioning Vaieitin Turchin, founder of a Moscow branch of the A rat e s ty International humm-rights organisation.

Dr Turchin, who was detainei by the police on his way to meet Mrs Irena Ginsburg wife of the jailed dissiden, was later allowed to go tome after refusing to

answer any questions about Mr Ginsburg, Mr Ginsburg, aged 40, the (first of nine Soviet Helsinki group members to be arrested earlier this year, was 'facing charges under article ■7O of the Soviet criminal code covering anti-Soviet ; agitation and propaganda, the sources said.

i As a second offender — ibe received a five-year term in 1968 — he could face a 'sentence of from three to I ten years as well as a furI ther period in exile. ' He has been held incommunicado at the town of lBokm south-west of Moscow, since his arrest.

Dr Turchin was about to accompany Mr Ginsburg’s wife, Irena, to Kaluga when he was seized by plainclothes men and driven to the town, the sources have said.