Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-02
Russian Priest Pleads
Partially Guilty 70 |
Yugos|av Spy Charges
D. me Assoeiotsd Press

D. me Assoeiofsd Press
sARAJEVO. Yugoslavia, Dec. :.
"A gray-bearded Russian Ortho-
dox priest pleaded partially
guilty" today to Yugoslav charges
that he worked for the Nazis in
this country during the war and
lately spied for Russia against
Premier Marshal Tito.
Father Aleksei Krishko. in long
black priests robes, heads a group
of 10 Russian White Guardists
being tried here as spies for the
Soviet Embassy in Belgrade and
spreaders of Cominform propa-
ganda against the Tito regime.
Father Krishko was the first to
take the stand today. A blanket
indictment against all 10 defend
ants was read yesterday.
Twice the priest was in tears.
Speaking broken Serbian (Which,
although Slav language, sounds
different from Russian, he re-
fused to take a seat.
Contradictions in Testimony.
His testimony was full of con-
tradictions. At the beginning he
. denied fatty he ever worked for
the German Gestapo while it was
In Yugoslavia during the war.
II did not collaborate with the
Germans" he told the court, his
beard quivering with indignation.
But then he admitted he had said
during earlier investigation that
several White Russians in Yugo-
slavia had joined the Germans on
his advice.
The first days questioning of
the priest was pointed mainly at
establishing the charge that all
the accused-former Czarist Rus
slams who fled here after the Rus
sian revolution and then became
Soviet citizens after the last war
had worked for the Nazis.
Nothing yet has been said about
the principal charge that they
distributed anti-Yugoslav propa-
ganda, collected false" informa-
ton about conditions in this coun-
try. reported dissension. hunger
and economic difficulties to 1the
Soviet Embassy in Belgrade and
distributed Cominform propa-
ganda. \
One Defendant Killed Self.
Originally there were to have
been IL White Russian defend
ants. But as the trial opened yes
terday in this capital city of
Bosnia, the presiding judge an
nounced that one of the defend
ants had hanged himself and an
other. a former Czarist army lieu
tenant colonel, was too Ill to at
tend and would be tried later.
The Ill man, Alexander Kra-
silynfkov, was said in the indict-
ment to have been q top-ranking
agent In the old Czarist secret
police. It was said he was so i'm.
portant he had been given the job
Of liquidating Ienin in Finland
at the time PREPARATIONS, were be-
ing made for the Russian yeVolu-
ton.
Among the 10 on trial is a gray
haired woman school teacher. j
Ksenia Komad. In court today
Father Krishko was confronted1
with the school mistress reported
statement that he helped recruit
White Russians for service with
the German forces during the
war.
Father Krishko. once a chap
lain in the Russian Cars crack
guards. admitted he had spoken
against the present Soviet regime.
"but only in private"-that in
church he spoke only of atheists
in general.
Others on trial include:
Vladimir Ogniev, former cap
tain in the Russian Czarist army
and former chairman of the Rus
sian emigree colony in Sarajevo.
Arsen Boremovich. who is
charged with betraying more than
a score of Yugoslavs to Croatian
Quisling Ustachi forces during the
war.
The other six defendants appar-
emily held less important roles,
both in the Russian colony itself
and in the alleged espionage ring
for the Soviet Union.
The defendants are charged
with turning information over to
former officials and military at
taches in the Soviet Embassy in
Belgrade. On a number of occa-
sions they were quoted as saying
they also turned information in
to the former Tass correspond
ent, Leonid Latishev, who left here
recently.
AS the second day of the trial
started two Soviet correspondents
were admitted into the courtroom
to cover the trial.