THE BEJA TRIAL CONCLUDES by Alvaro de Miranda
The Beja trial finished in Lisbon on 30th July with the reading of the sentences on the 82 accused who had been accused of armed rebellion against the regime. Manuel Serra, the Catholic workers' leader received the highest sentence of 10 years' imprisonment. He had been accused of organising the plan for the revolt, on the orders of General Hutberto Delgado, the opposition's presidential candidate in the 1958 'elections!, General Delgado was in exile st the time but entered the country illegally during the revolt, and then escaped again after its failure. Captain Joao Varela Gomes, the leader of the actual attack on the Beja barracks, who was severely wounded, received a sentence of 6 years' imprison ment,
Of the 82 on trial, 33 were released after being acquitted or given prison sfNtences which they had already served. They had waited for over two years in prison before being tried. The remaining 49 were given terms ranging from 2 to 10 years, the highest of which, after those of Manuel Serra and Captain Gomes, was 34 years. (Under Portuguese law a sentence of more than 2 years is a major sentence, and only half of the time served before the trial is taken into consideration.)
The sentences might not seem excessive compared to the usual ones given by military dictatorships for armed revolt. It should, however, be pointed out that Portugal is a NATO country and thus part of the "Free World", For this reason Salazar has a special interest in maintaining the facade of benevolence. This was 2 trial that attracted international (pias and the first revolt which resembled anything like e popular \ uprising. There were several workers involved and ell the others, including the army officers, were of left wing tentencies. Up to now all opposition has been of a peaceful and semi-legal character.
A separate trial will be held for 4 other people involved, who found refuge in exile. They are Gereral Delgado and Fernando Piteira Santos both now leaders of the Patriotic Front for National Liberation (reins with headquarters in Algeria, in which are represented most of the main opposition movements, Jose Hipolito dos Santos, »n economist, now also in Algeria, and Carlos Veiga Pereira, a journalist, now in France.