. We hare received from a Vest German corraspondent details of a nasty ease of victimisation of two women, The correspondent has asked our assistance. in getting protaste sant to:
The Ifinister of Justice of Lower Saxony,
West Gormeany.
The facts of the case are that two women,Mrs. Ulfreide Kmtaz of Hanover, and lirs. Gertrud Schroter of Cella, were sentonced to ono year in Prison, loss of civil rights for five yeas and the possibility or perpetual police supervision after release. Their sentence was completed in early March, 1963, but their are still detained. eth are seriously i11. Nor5)lly in CGormany prisoners are freed after two thirds has been served, if their conduct has been satisfactory. This has been donied in this case, Tho reason given is that their conduct wes not good enough — they spoke politically at their trial,
Tho charges against thom were given as: continued memborship of the forbidden C,P, of Germany (KPD), promotion of an unconstitutional organisation as leaders, subversive intelligonee service and activities as agents. ictually they have done nothing except to collaborate with the Zentrale Arbeitsgemeinschaft) (Central Society) for holidays for poor children in the Federal Republic, and also at workers! holiday camps in Yast Germany. These holiday camps were organised because thora had been invitations from the Gast Germans, and special trains wore made available by the State railways cf the Federal Republic ( Pudnesbahn).
Mrs Schroter and Mrs Kautz helped to organise these camps up to July; 1961, when the Cantral Society was banned. After this they did not contime this work, which mekes their punishment retrospective and totally unjustifiable. All they did after the ban was imposed was to pay back the money which had slready been paid._Tho only contact those women had in Bast Gormany wae. with poople concerned with the holiday service for children and with the reps cuntatives of the factories issuing invitations, 1% is, therefore, utter nonsense to accuse them of illegal membership of the C.P., promotion of an unconstitutional organisation, etc. etc. Their appeal against sentence was turned down.
There has been a demonstretion outside the Palace of Justice at Hanover in protest against the continued detention of the two wren, Police arrived and arrested 14 of the 50 demonstrators, Signatures of protest have boon collected in various parte of Germany and some in France as well, A petotion form scnt to Nottingham University was filled up. id. Notet We shall be organising a petition on this case in the very near
future - whon certain quéstions of fact have clarified, Our West
Gorman correspondent says that protests from other countries are
possibly the only way forward now.