BRITISH CITIZENS PERSECUTED IN IRON CURTAIN COUNTRIES

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 May 1950, Page 5

BRITISH CITIZENS PERSECUTED IN IRON CURTAIN COUNTRIES

J LONDON, May 16.-Details of a ? long series of arrests, disappearances, s expulsion and intimidation of British 1 citizens in Russia and the Iron curtain countries, during the past two years were given by the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Ernest Davies) replying to two questions on the subject by the Conservative Member for Solihull (Mr. Martin Lindsay). AU the cases cited, said Mr. Davies, ! had been the subject of unavailing I protests to the countries concerned. I In Russia two telephonists employed > at the British Embassy had disappeared in October, 1948, and another , woman, telephonist had disappeared in ; January, 1949, after the Russian ’ police had tried to force her to leave > her employment. Yet another woman ’ telephonist had been so intimidated by t the police that she attempted suicide. ; In addition, three other employees at the Embassy, two of them of long standing, had left as the result of police threats. ? Full details of all these cases had been reiterated to the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr. Vyshinsky) by the former British Ambassador (Sir Maurice Peterson) when he left Moscow. In each case the Russians had rejected the British complaints. In addition to the cases of the Embassy employees Sir Maurice had also unsucL cessfully taken up the case of a British - private soldier who had been arrested * in the Soviet zone of Germany and 1 sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment 3 for alleged espionage. Five complaints had been lodged 1 with the Bulgarian Government. The " first concerned charges of discourtesy I in the usage of a British Naval At--1 tache performing his duties; the second that of a British missionary who was arrested, held incommunicado | and then sentenced to a term of im- i prisonment for alleged currency offences. The other three cases concerned British diplomats whose recall was summarily demanded by the Bulgarians. Nine cases were cited in the section dealing with Czechoslovakia. Two ' concerned the expulsion of twe British journalists, representing the ’ “News Chronicle’ ana the “Daily Telegraph” respectively. One concoined the expulsion of a British permit officer after allegations of espionkage had been made against, two Brit- ' ish diplomats. Three concerned the ; ..’i ; airy arrest and interrogation of ■ British subjects, one the expulsion without reason of a British Council official, and another the arrest and interrogation of a British information officer. In the last, case only was an apology offered, and this was described as “only partial.” Seven complaints were lodged in l Hungary. One concerned Edgar Sanders, the British businessman arrest.'<l and sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for spying. lie was not iallowed to be represented by a British lawyer. Another concerned the ! '.isappearance of a British woman I.journalist, two, others the arrest of I two British businessmen, one of whom (was held incommunicado and the 'other forcibly expelled. The remain- | der related to the arrest, interrogation or expulsion of British diploi mats. Three complaints wore made Io both Poland and Rumania. All of them concerned the summary arrest and police interrogation of British citizens or British officials. Two of i these, both women employees in the "lit'-'h Legation at Bucharest, were hold incommunicado and then sentenced to imprisonment for treason.