The trial of P.G. Grigorenko, February 1970 (12.2)

«No 12 : 28 February 1970»

At the very end of the investigation into charges under Article 190-1 (RSFSR Criminal Code) further charges were added: under Articles 191-4 (Uzbek SSR Criminal Code) and 70 (RSFSR Criminal Code).

Grigorenko’s defence counsel, Sophia V. KALISTRATOVA, learned this only at the trial, which opened in Tashkent (Uzbek SSR) on 3 February 1970.

Pyotr Grigorenko (1907-1987)

Before the trial both P.G. Grigorenko’s defence counsel and his wife Zinaida were refused permission to visit him. Court chairwoman Romanova rejected the requests of the defence: that Grigorenko [¹] be called to court; that the trial be transferred to Moscow; and that a third forensic psychiatric team be nominated.

Zinaida Mikhailovna GRIGORENKO was informed that she could represent her husband at the trial and that she was permitted to familiarise herself with the documents of the case. The following day it transpired that Z.M. Grigorenko was not permitted to familiarise herself with the case without a lawyer, and as S.V. Kalistratova had to return to Moscow, Z. M. Grigorenko had only a few hours on 4 February to acquaint herself with her husband’s case (21 volumes, 6,000 pages.)

The trial was postponed “until the experts were in better health”: Morozov and Lunts had been called but had not appeared in court. Furthermore, for reasons unknown, 22 witnesses and 25 persons summoned before the court failed to appear.

26-27 FEBRUARY 1970

On 26 February 1970 the court reassembled.

The chairwoman of the court was Romanova. The prosecutor was Procurator Mordovin. The defence counsel was Sophia Kalistratova.

There were five witnesses: N. G. Grigorenko — P. G. Grigorenko’s sister, an engineer from Tashkent; Dilshat Ilyasov, a doctor from Tashkent; Pichugin, Beitagorov and Nikolayev, all three from Moscow. The medical experts were Lunts (Moscow commission) and Detengof (Tashkent commission).

When N.G. Grigorenko was asked whether, in her opinion, her brother was out of his mind or anti-Soviet, she replied that he was neither.

D. Ilyasov stated that he considered P.G. Grigorenko perfectly normal and spoke favourably of his character.

At the preliminary investigation Nikolayev had testified that he had seen P.G. Grigorenko once: in Moscow, at the court house where in October 1968 the case of the demonstrators of 25 August 1968 was heard, and at that time Grigorenko gave him the impression of being normal. However, in court Nikolayev stated that Grigorenko had given him the impression of not being normal.

Beitagorov, who also saw Grigorenko once — at the same place as Nikolayev — stated that Grigorenko had made anti-Soviet speeches outside the court.

Pichugin testified that while walking in the vicinity of а Moscow crematorium on 14 November 1968, he happened to look in and heard Grigorenko making an anti-Soviet speech at the funeral of Alexei Ye. KOSTYORIN.

Professor Detengof stated that he retracted his original opinion that P.G. Grigorenko was of sound mind.

He considered the findings of the Tashkent commission (diagnositic team), which he had signed, to be incorrect (see CCE 12.1). He fully endorsed the opinion of Professor Lunts that Grigorenko was in fact of unsound mind.

(After the first diagnosis, naturally, Detengof had not had Grigorenko under his observation.)

The request of the defence that at least one more of the experts who had signed the original diagnosis should be summoned, was rejected. So the findings of the Tashkent diagnostic team (commission) were not even formally invalidated.

On 27 February 1970, the court reached a ‘conclusion’ in the case of P.G. Grigorenko (a sentence is passed only on those of sound mind).

It declared him guilty of crimes committed while of unsound mind, under Articles 70, pt. 1 and 190-1 (RSFSR Criminal Code) and Article 191-1 (Uzbek SSR Code). The court decreed that P.G. Grigorenko be exempted from criminal punishment and placed in a psychiatric hospital of a special type in Kazan until his recovery.

The defence counsel Kalistratova lodged an appeal.

Z. M. Grigorenko wrote an Open Letter which ends with the words:

“People!

“Death threatens Pyotr Grigorevich Grigorenko!

“I appeal to all democratic organisations which defend the rights of man, and to all freedom-loving citizens of the world! Help me to save my husband! The freedom of each is the freedom of all!”