The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-12-17
Soviet announces Bey1n
Tontenlon" And Trial
Claim Former
Head OF Secret
Police Aimed At
Party Overthrow
pv RICHARD KAsIscHKE

~ kICnAk0 kASISerke
MOSCOW H-The Soviet govern
ment announced today that Law
rensy p. IBERIA has confessed TO
plotting against the state and viii
no on trial with six key members
Of the police network he headed
Cor Is years.
The official announcement, pub.
IIshed In the government news
paper Izyestia, said the Soviet
state prosecutor had completed his
case against IBERIA, Premier Geor-
ri Malenkov's top deputy until his
arrest June rs.
Moscow radio said the seven
men would be tried at a special
sitting OF the Soviet Supreme
Court. II did not say when.
Charge Made Public
The government announcement
said Beria and his associates
aimed at using ''the organs Of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs :.
against the Communist party and
the government Of the U.S.S.R. ia
the interests of foreign capital. ]
to grab power and to liquidate the
Soviet worker-psasant regime with
. view to restoring capitalism and
securing the domination Of the
bourgeoisie middle class)."
Beria, who headed the nations
police activities from 1888 until his
arrest, was first deputy prime
minister and minister Of internal
affairs under Malenkov. The in
ternal affairs post controls police,
intelligence and related work.
The statement said Beria and his
associated admitted their built Of
having committed 3 nuNbey II the
most sg sous state CRIES.
II declared that the formers po-
lice boss had been committed for
trial on charges at high treason.
organizing an anti-Soviet plot and
counter.revolutlonary work.
Others Identified
Similar charges were listed
against the six other defendants,
identified as:
v. N. Merkulov, former minister
Of state security and long Beria's
deputy.
v. G. DekanozOv and S. A. Co
glodze, both former ministers of
Internal affairs In Georgia, the ma
tive republic of both IBERIA and
Joseph Stain.
p. Y. Meshik, q former minister
Of internal affairs in the Ukraine.
L. E. Vlodzimirsky, described as
the former head Of the investiga.
ton department ''for particularly
important affairs Of the U.S.S.R.
MVD (secret police)."
b. z. Kobulov, former Soviet
deputy minister Of internal affairs
who had previously served In a
similar position in the Georgia adj
ministration.
Hostile To Soviet"
The statement charged Beria had
used his position to collect "a
treacherous group Of plotters hos
tile to the Soviet state" His own
''traitorous" activities, 1t declared,
went as far back as the Russian
civil war Of 1880 when he had
established links with foreign in
telligence services under the
control Of British intelligence or
gans.
1T has been established" the
announcement continued, shat Be.
ria and bis accomplices carried
out criminal measures in order TO
resuscitate remnants of bOurge.
oisie nationalist elements In union
republics, to sow hatred and dis
, cord between the peoples Of III
U.S.S.R. with the Great Russian
pople" (the Russians themselvs
as distinct from other nationalities
In tn Soviet Union. They princi.
pally inhabit the Russian Soviet
federal socialist republic, which
comprises the greater part Of the
Cxarist Russian empire).
Interference Charged
The defendants also were &C.
eused Of attempting to sabotage
IN eountry's collective farm sys.
TEN and Of interfering with the
efforts OF the Communist party
and government to bring about "a
Continued On Pags Twol