Clear the names of the accused in the
Moscow Show Trials!
GET IS NOW over ity years since the infamous Moscow
Show Trials. It is astounding that at a time when the Soviet government is at pains to emphasize its concern with 'human rights' and proclaims the need for glasnost' (openness), the accused in these trials, with a few exceptions, are still considered guilty of being paid agents of Nazism and
"Among these men were numbered several who played outstanding roles in the
Russian revolution of 1917. The reputations of founders of the Soviet state like Zinoviev,
Radek, Trotsky and Bukharin were besmirched or expunged from the history books. Today, no-one doubts that the 'confessions' at the trials - the sole basis for the prosecution - were utterly false. Seven defendants in the third trial, Krestinsky and others, have been both judicially rehabilitated and politically exonerated. So have the military leaders, Tukhachevsky and others, whose military trial in 1937 was held in secret. But the admittedly false evidence against these men was inseparable from the charges against all the other accused.
"None of the accused, of course, is alive today. Many were executed immediately after their trials.
Others died in prison or camps. Leon Trotsky, the chief accused in all three of the trials, was murdered in exile in 1940. However, families of some of the defendants are still living in the Soviet
Union. Some have also suffered imprisonment and exile. It is worth recalling that a review of all these cases was promised by Khrushchev, but this promise was broken.
"We, the undersigned, therefore call on the Soviet government to re-examine the cases against all these victims of the perversion of Soviet justice, as took place with Krestinsky. We are confident that all those accused in the Trials of 1936-
38 will be shown to have been innocent. They should immediately be rehabilitated, their honour restored, their families compensated
CUT Brazil; Dan Gallin, gen. sec. IFAW USA;
10 Bada tampona, ge. See Belgium: Bala Tampoe, gen. sec. CMU Sri Lanka;
International Viewpoint • November 9, 1987
USSR other crimes.
Signatories: Luis Ignacio Lula Da Silva, MP, chair PT (Workers' Party) Brazil; Pierre Guidoni, national secretariat SP (Socialist Party) France; Ernest Glinne, vice-chair of socialist group in Euro-parliament Belgium; Ken Livingstone, MP, LP (Labour Party) exec. GB; Robert Verdier, pres. International Cssn. of Human Rights League France; lan Mikardo, MP, ex-chair of LP GB; Jiri Hajek, Charter 77, foreign affairs minister under Dubcek. Czech.; Prof. Fernando Cardoso, MP, chair PMDB parliamentary group Brazil; Gert Petersen, MP, chair PSP (People's Socialist Party) Denmark; Erik Solheim, chair Left Socialist Party Norway; Franco Russo, MP, chair parliamentary group DP (Democrazia Proletaria) Italy; Olivio Dutra, gen. sec. PT Brazil; Jamil Hadad, MP, pres. SP Brazil; Seguro Melendez, gen. sec. MIR Venezuela; Petra Kelly, MP, Greens FRG; Peter von Oertzen, nat. leadership SPD FRG; Eduardo Jorge, MP, nat. leadership PT Brazil; Florestan Fernandez, MP, PT Brazil; Rosario Ibarra, MP, PRT presidential candidate Mexico; Jair Meneguelli, pres. United Confederation of Workers (CUT) Brazil; Martilasen Covas Pontes, vice-pres.
The campaign is appealing for further signatories of individuals or organizations, and financial donations to extend the appeal.
Write to the Moscow
Trials Campaign, c/o Michael Lowy,
34 rue des Lyonnais,
75005 Paris. Jakob Moneta, ex-editor IG Metall journal FRG; Margarito Montes, gen. sec. General Union of Workers and Peasants Mexico; Hugo Blanco, nat. secretariat Peruvian Peasants' Confederation (CCP) Peru; Prof. Noam Chomsky USA; Prof. Laurent Schwartz France; Denis Bonvallot, CGT rep. to WFTU, Prague 1984-1987 France; Paul Sweeezy & Harry Magdoff, eds. Monthly Review USA; S. Stojanovic, editor Praxis Yugo.; Perry Anderson & Robin Blackburn, New Left Review GB; Krishna Raj, editor
Economic and Political Weekly India; Gilbert Wasserman, editor MFrance; Rathfelder, editor Tageszeitung Berlin, FRG; Van Amerongen, editor De Groene Amsterdammer NL; Alex Grass, editor Wochenzeitung Zürich Switz.; Koen Raes, editor Vlaams Marxistisch Tijdschrift Belgium; *Dr Annette Rubinstein, ed. board Science and Society USA; John Boyd, ex-editor Weekly Tribune Canada; Alain Amicabile, ex-CC member PCF France; Jakob Gorender, exCC member PCB Brazil; Luis Zamora, presidential candidate MAS Argentina; Lev Kopelev, writer USSR; N. Petrov, author USSR; Vlady Chibalchich, artist USSR; Esteban Volkov (Trotsky's grandson) Mexico; Elmar Altvater, economist, FRG; Samir Amin, economist, Third World Forum Dakar Egypt; Claude Bourdet, Compagnon de la libération France; Reg Groves GB; Harry Wicks GB; Youssef Abdelké, artist Syria. Members of Parliament: Ademir Andrade Brazil: Keld Albrechtsen Denmark; Clara Ant Brazil; Ria Beckers NL; Sydney Bidwell GB; Paul Boateng GB; José Paulo Bisol Brazil; Mario Onaindia, EuroMP, Euskadiko Eskerra Spanish State; Trygve Bull ex-MP Norway; Mario Campana Italy; Luigi Cifrani Italy; Joao Carlos Cocer
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and their graves marked.
Statement of the CPGB THE EXECUTIVE Committee of the CP, at its meeting on November 8/9, 1986, adopted the following statement:
In 1936 a number of leading Soviet communists, including old Bolsheviks like Zinoviev and Kamenev, were placed on subsequently executed. Other trials and executions, including that of Bukharin in 1938, followed.
In 1978, on the 40th anniversary of Bukharin's trial, the EC of the CPGB supported a call for his rehabilitation. We consider that in the light of the revelations about repressions under Stalin the verdicts in these trials cannot be justified, and that, in justice to the memory of those falsely accused, and in the interests of socialism, the historical record should be set
In the 50th anniversary year of the 1936 trial we urge the rehabiliation of all those unjustly tried and condemned. Brazil; Jeremy Corbyn GB; Benedita da Silva Brazil; Najah Wakim Lebanon; José Luis Diaz Moll Mexico; Freimut Dive FRG; Thomas Eberman FRG; Otavio Elisio Brazil; Luiza Erundina Brazil; Francisco Ferramenta Brazil; José Fortunatti Brazil; Alberto
Frieder Wolf FRG; Jean Ziegler, ex-MP Switz.; Zaher El-Khatib Lebanon. Other signatories: Manuel Aguilar Mora Mexico; Tariq Ali Pakistan/GB; César Alvarez Brazil; Christos Anastasiadis Greece; A.M. Babu Tanzania; Juuriaan Bendien NZ; Wolf Bierman GDR; Hans Blumenfeld Canada; Prof. H. Brakemeier FRG; Peter Brandt FRG; Fenner Brockway GB; Varda Burstyn Canada; Nora Ciapone Argentina; Perly Cipriano Brazil; Igor Cornelissen NL; Prof. Jan Craeybeckx Belgium; Kamel Dagher Lebanon; Eugenio Del Rio Spanish state; Prof. Maghnad Desai India/GB; Guy Delsore Belgium; Eric Corijn Belgium; Tamara Deutscher; Then De Vries NL; Prof. Z. Djiudjic Yugo.; Silvia Diaz Argentina; Jiri Dienstbier Czech.; Ross Dowson Canada; Ernst Federn Austria; Prof. Tring Fetscher FRG; Magda Flores Brazil; Paulo Cesar Funghi Brazil; Ciro Garcia Brazil; Tarso Genro Brazil; Adolfo Gilly Mexico; Prof. Z. Golubovic Yugo.; Ernesto Gonzales Argentina; Prof. G. Gürsoy Turkey; Mohamed Harbi Algeria; Huda Hawa Lebanon; Clovis Ilgenfritz Brazil; Tom Kemp GB; Göte Kilden Sweden; Joost Kircz NL; Prof. Leo Kofler FRG; L. Kohout Czech.; Alain Krivine France; Prof. Georges Labica France; Joanne Landy USA; Michaël Löwy France; Joao Machado Brazil; Tomas Matta Machado Brazil; Livio Maitan Italy; Ernest Mandel Belgium; Prof. M. Markovic Yugo.; Prof. D. Miconovic Yugo.; François Moreau Canada; Prof. A. Moscato Italy; Pierre Naville France; Prof. W.D. Narr FRG; Susana OuneiSmall New Caledonia; Leo Panich Canada; Marcello Parilli Argentina; Brian Pearce GB; Norman Penner Canada; Gilles Perrault France; Mauricio Faria Pinto Brazil; Paul Piesse NZ; Michel Raptis Greece; Sergio Rodriguez Mexico; Miguel Romero Spanish state; Clayton Ruby
USSR Canada; J. Sabata Czech.; Sal Santen NL; Prof. N Satligan Turkey; Prof. Savran Turkey; Ralph Schoenman USA; Ronald Segal S. Africa/GB; Louis Sinclair GB; Daniel and Jeanne Singer Poland/France; Lotfallah Soliman Egypt; Joaquim Soriano Brazil; Cyril Smith GB; Francisco de Souza Brazil; William Sutherland Fiji; Prof. L. Tadic Yugo.; Cristina Tavares Brazil; Y Thanassekos Greece/Belgium; Petr Uhl Czech.; Lea Tsemel Israel; Charles Van Gelderen GB; Jean Van Lierde Belgium; François Vercammen Belgium; Adao Villaverde Brazil; Veronika Volkov Mexico; Michel Warschawski Israel; Prof. Herman Weber FRG; Barry Weisleder Canada; Prof. Susan Weisman USA; Prof. Reg Whitaker Canada; Prof. W.E. Wilmot NZ; Milton Wolpin USA; Hocine Zahouane Algeria; Stelio Babas, CC Gauche Hellenique (EAR) Greece; Prof. Michel Beaud France; Patrick Camiller, New Left Review GB; Prof. Bogdan Denitch, Democratic Socialists of America USA; Prof. Réné Gallissot France; Hosea Jaffe, historian South Africa; Prof. Alexis Mitropoulos Greece; Prof. Valentine Moghadam USA; Prof. Leo Panitch Canada; Prof. Adolfo Sachez Vazquez Mexico; Prof. Yildiz Sertel France; Elias Khoury, author Lebanon. *The following people from the USA signed a version of the appeal whose final paragraph was changed to: We the undersigned from the United States, who are opponents of the cold war and anti-communist policies of the US government, therefore call on the Soviet government to exonerate and rehabilitate the victims of the Moscow Trials... Annette T. Rubinstein; Prof. Louis Menashe; Prof. Paul Siegel; Prof. Michael Goldfield; Michael Smith National Lawyers Guild; Prof. Morris Slavin; Dan Georgakas, author; Prof. David Herreshoff; Prof. Sungar Savran.
Soviet official says: "Rehabilitation a real
Franceschi, ex-MP Venezuela; Raul possibility"
Messias Franco Brazil; Berge Furre, ex-MP
Norway; Mildred Gordon GB; Roberto
Gouveia Brazil; Bianca Guidetti Serra Italy;
Virgiliao Guimaraes Brazil; Luis Gushiken
THE NOVEMBER issue of Marxism Today, theoretical
Brazil; Selvino Heck Brazil; Eric Heffer GB;
journal of the Euro-Communist CP in Britain, contained an
Anne Grete Holmsgard Denmark; Eduardo interview entitled "Trotsky and Co" with Yuri Afanasyev,
Jorge Brazil; Peter Lankhorst NL; Helmut rector of the Moscow State Historical-Archive Institute,
Lippelt FRG; Eddy Loyden GB; Lysaneas
Maciel Brazil; José Mauricio Brazil; Nilmario and a leading champion of glasnost' (see Ernest Mandel's
Miranda Brazil; Moises Moleiro Venezuela;
Cy Conick, ex-MP Canada; Ricardo Napuri,
They asked him, "Do you think there will be an official ex-MP Peru; Jose Genuino Neto Brazil; Stan rehabilitation of such figures as Bukharin, Kamenev, and
Newens GB; E. Bruul Olesen Denmark;
even Trotsky in the future?" Afanasyev replied: "In terms of
Paulo Renato Paim Brazil; Ricardo Pascoe
Mexico; Vladimir Palmeira Brazil; Pedro withdrawing these imaginary accusations of criminality,
Penalosa Mexico; Rosalia Peredo Mexico;
the rehabilitation of them is a real possibility, and quite
Peter Pilz Austria; Uldorico Pinto Brazil;
Guido Pollice Italy; Raul Pont Brazil; Paulo
"Everything has to be changed: the image of them as
Ramos Brazil; Edo Ronchi Italy; David evil-minded, the notion that in all their actions they were
Rousset, ex-MP France; Luis
Brazil; Plinio de Arruda Sampaio Brazil;
motivated by evil intentions, with the aim of damaging the
Secundo Serrano Ecuador; Joze Smolle revolution and the building of socialism in our country. Of
Austria; Manfred Srb Austria; Sandra course, they were different people and cannot all be put on
Starling Brazil; Gianni Tamino Italy; Cristina the same level, but the charge that they were criminals
Tavares Brazil; Steen Tinning Denmark; J.
Ulburghs Belgium; Frank Vandenbroecke has to be removed. I think this will be done. Similarly, we
Belgium; Bran Van Der Lek NL; Andrée Van need a reappraisal of the true role and place of these
Es NL; Marijke Van Hemeldonck Belgium;
Joao Paulo Vasconcelos Brazil; Karsten
Voigt FRG; Andreas Wahl Austria; De
Wasseige Belgium; David Winnick GB;
article in IV 128).
people in the revolution." *
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11 November 9, 1987 • International Viewpoint