Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-23
Executions Are Called
Fruit Of Dictatorship

to City Attorney Alabau Trelles
to obtain a permit to ship a
foreigners body on 3 boat leav-
ing for Germany in a matter Of
hours.
The attorney, suspicious
about the urgency, was told
that a German had been killed
in q brawl. The permit was
denied and an investigation
ensued.
In the meantime, another po-
liceman, seeking to clear a
woman held as Klein's killer, |
gave a city magistrate this ver-
sion: Klein was arrested fol-
lowing a restaurant alteration.
He was carrying 1900 pesos
81, 5000. While asleep in his
cell, Klein was beaten to death
by Garcia Olayon and two
guards. His body was dumped
in a street. A woman, who had
been with Klein earlier, was
arrested and charged as the
killer.
Fooled by Government
Alabau Trelles, familiar with
police tactics and aware of Gar
cha Olayon's position in the ma
tional police hierarchy, acted as
his own investigator. Months
later. he obtained SUFFICIENT evil
dence to obtain a writ for the
arrest Of Garcia Olayon and
the two guards on a murder
charge.
But the government took the
case out of the civilian courts.
Constitutional guarantees were
suspended, ostensibly to main
tain public order. Fidel Castro
had not made his historic land
ing in Oriente Province but I'M
rest was sweeping the country.
Under this decree, Garcia
Olayon's trial went to a mill
tary court. Witnesses disap-
peared or refused to testify. He
was quickly absolved.
The case was reopened last
month. 1t was one of 81 kill
ings in which Garcia Olayon
was adjudged directly respon-
sible. He was executed.
The Klein case, nonpolitical
in nature, was one of hundreds
in Cuba during a seyen-year
period, Alabau Trelles says.
News is Concealed
How were these atrocities
kept from the public outside
Cuba?
Havana conveyed to the out
siderS a scene of timeless gaity.
that might have
shown the true picture were
trapped by censorship, lack of
and fear.
The local press was muzzled.
Responsible foreign news cor
respondents could not get be-
yond the thin top layer of
scrambled truth and scuttle-
butt. The judicial arm of gov
eminent was important. Dis
belief and disinterest, ruled
quarters that might have
helped. Thus, say Cubans not
outraged by present criticism |
of their military tribunals. the
world was unprepared to ac-
cept as fact the scene exposed |
by the collapse of the Batista
dictatorship.
Bar Support Denied
The minutes of a Havana
bar association meeting June
IL, 1858 revealed that delegates
DR.. Eduardo Augusta Garcia of
Argentina and David Stern of
Miami, Fla, failed in an effort
to get the Inter-American Bar
association to express solidarity
and moral support to Havana
Bars. Efforts to restore con-
stitutional principles as they
apply to human rights, to the
independence of the judicial |
authority and free professional
enterprise"
The motion was turned down
by the Inter-American groups |
executive committee and the |
Havana group quit November
rs.
They said they did not want !
to get involved in the internal
affairs of Cuba" Silvio Sana-
bia, president of the Havana
group, recalls.
Tomorrow: Batista's Habeas
Corpus
nlaint is the Rrntherhnnd of |