Lawsuit of the sixteen

the lawsuit of the sixteen (known as also lawsuit of Moscow) was the political lawsuit of the military chiefs of Polish Resistance to Moscow by the communist Soviet (18 June 21st, 1945).

Context

The Conférence of Yalta ratified the annexation of the Polish territories of the east by the Soviet Union and the domination of the Communists in Poland. This decision was, without surprise, refused by the Polish government in exile - only interlocutor of the Western Allies since 1939 - betrayed by this decision together with all the military organizations and of resistance in Poland and abroad (cf the Army Polonaise in the United Kingdom, with the Middle-East, in Western Europe). This decision opens the door with persecutions of resistance on the Polish grounds considered consequently as Soviet. The clandestine government in Poland, put at the foot of the wall, accepted Yalta with the hope that a political process will make it possible to safeguard some democratic institutions in Poland.

The talks with Soviet start to avoid the arrests by the Red Army of the partisans and combatants of the Armia Krajowa ( AK ) operative on the territories is of Poland (Lwow, Wilno, Lublin). The contacts were established via the Polish officers of the Popular Army Polonaise (who fought with the Red Army). The first which accepted the dialog was the general Leopold Okulicki (pseudo " Ourson"), the last chief of the Army of interior ( AK ) but the other clandestine leaders was much more being wary. The governments British and American also insisted so that the contacts are established with the Soviet armies which advanced quickly on the territory of Poland. That finally convinced the Deputy Prime Minister of the clandestine government Jan-Stanisław Jankowski. The Polish delegation was extended to the representatives of all the political tendencies, nevertheless the Poles as preliminary required the release of all the soldiers and officers of imprisoned AK or deportees by the Soviets. March 28th, 1945, the appointment was fixed with the general of NKVD Ivan Sierov at Pruszków close to Warsaw.

The Polish delegation comprised sixteen people: the Deputy Prime Minister for the government to the exile, the commander of Armia Krajowa, the president of the Council of the National unit, representatives of the Socialist party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PS), of the Party Main road (Stronnictwo Narodowe, SN), of the Labor Union, the Popular party (Stronnictwo Ludowe, SSL) and of the Democratic Union. They all were stopped by NKVD and envoys by plane in Moscow.

Following this removal without precede the Polish governments in exile, British and American protests in Moscow, but they are informed that any history was invented by the Poles. It is only on May 5th that the Soviets announce the arrest of the 16 for the actions of diversion behind their face.

The Lawsuit of Moscow

During 3 months the leaders Polish are imprisoned with Loubianka, questioned and " préparés" with the public lawsuit. In the political lawsuits of this type, it was indeed a question of obtaining the consents as quickly as possible. The lawsuit began on June 18th according to the Stalinist traditional model. The general Vasilyi Urlykh (an accustomed judge of the political lawsuits of the years 1936-38) chaired, among other actors one found also the Affanasiev general (to get general soldier of the Soviet Union) and R. Rudenko, future representing Soviet in the Procès of Nuremberg. The bill of indictment related to the combat against the Red Army. The judges have in addition affirmed the illegality of Armia Krajowa, the Council of the National union, the Polish government in exile and its representatives in Poland. According to a ground scenario, one makes come to the bar the soldiers from AK , captured several months before and already destroyed by tortures, which recite their testimonys with load against the Army of the interior and its collaboration with the Germans. The prosecutor, general Affanasiev, showed the defendants of " the criminal action and reactionary against the Soviet Union and the interests of Poland as well as alliance " objective" with the nazis". After three days of the lawsuit the sentences were marked:

General Leopold Okulicki (last ordering AK and armed forces of the interior): 10 years of reclusion (carried out in prison in December 1946)
Jan-Stanisław Jankowski (Deputy Prime Minister for the Polish government in exile): 8 years, deceased in prison with Vladimir on March 13rd, 1953
Adam Bień (vice-president of SN): 5 years
Stanisław Jasiukowicz (vice-president of SN): 5 years (deceased in prison Boutriki a few days before the end of its detention, probably assassinated has)
Kazimierz Pużak (president of the Council of National union): 1 years and half; released in September 1945, in 1947 decree by UB and condemned to 10 years of reclusion, deceased in the Polish prison of Rawicz in 1950
Kazimierz Bagiński (vice-president of the SSL): 1 year; released and forced to emigrate in the USA
Aleksander Zwierzyński (president of the Democratic Union): 8 months
Captain Eugeniusz Czarnowski (vice-president of the Democratic Union): 6 months
Józef Chaciński (president of the Union of work): 4 months
Stanisław Mierzwa (representative of the SSL): 4 months, decree again in Poland and condemned to 7 years of prison for its activity in PSL (Polish Popular party)
Zbigniew Stypułkowski (general secretary of the Provisional Political National council): 4 months, after the return in Poland constrained to the emigration towards the United Kingdom
Feliks Urbański (représeantant of the Union of work): 4 months
Stanisław Michałowski (vice-president of the democratic Union): released
Kazimierz Kobylański (representative of SN): released
Józef Stemler-Dąbski (vice-minister of the department of the information of the Polish clandestine government): released

See too

Poland during the Second world war

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