RAJK TO DIE: BUDAPEST TRIAL ENDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1949, Page 6

RAJK TO DIE: BUDAPEST TRIAL ENDS

BUDAPEST, Sept. 24.— Probably the most important of all the political, trials behind the Iron Curtain ended in Budapest today with the passing of the death sentence on Lazio Rajk, former Hungarian Foreign Minister and high-ranking Communist. Rajk had pleaded guilty to treason and espionage for Jugoslavia and America and to plotting to overthrow the Hungarian Government by force and assassinate some of its leaders.

Gyorgy Palffy; former Chief of Staff and Deputy Defence Minister, was sent to a military court for retrial. Two other defendants were sentenced to death, two to life imprisonment, and one to nine years’ imprisonment. One other was sent with General Palffy to a military court for retrial. '

Two other defendants sentenced to death were Tibor Szonyi, a former member of Parliament and Communist Party official, and Andras Szalai, both of whom were accused of treason.

Lazar Brankov, formerly Charge d’Affaires at .the Jugoslav Legation in Budapest, who was accused of treason and of trying to overthrow the Government, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Paul Justus, vice-presi-dent of the Hungarian radio, was also sentenced to life imprisonment. Ivan Ogn-Enovic, a confessed Jugoslav professional spy, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment. General Palffy and Bela Korondy, a colonel of police, were, not sentenced because the Court held that it was not competent to deal with them.

The accused, all of whom had pleaded guilty, took the sentences calmly. After hearing himself sentenced, Rajk stepped up to a microphone and quietly told the Court: “The sentence is just.” The accused have the right to appeal. Unless the sentences are changed by a higher Court those sentenced to death will die on the gal-' lows. Charges Against Accused Seven of the eight were charged ■with leading an organisation to overthrow the Hungarian GovernmentSix were also charged with treason, two with war crimes, one with crimes against -the people, one with espionage, and one with incitement to murder. The verdicts ended a strange trial in which the defendants eagerly admitted most of the accusations and even elaborated the charges. Asked by the judge if he wished to seek clemency from the Hungarian Presidium, if a higher Court confirmed the death sentence, Rajk said: “No, I don’t,” Two other defendants sentenced to death Szonyi and Szalai, both said that they agreed with their lawyers’ decision to appeal. They also wished to make use of their clemency plea should the higher Court confirm their death sentences. The Court said that Brankov had been spared the death sentence because he was a foreign citizen owing allegiance to another country. Therefore he was no traitor to Hungary. A message from Paris says that Mi’ Michael Karolyi, former President of the Hungarian Republic, today asked pardon to Rajk in an urgent telegram to the President (Mr Arpad Szakasits).