'SHAKE-UP' IN SOVIET SUPREME COURT?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A000500020023-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 5, 2002
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: February 16, 1955
• Content Type: BRIEF

Approved For Ruse 2002/08/0"ClAtRUM- R00890A990500020023-5
NSC BRIEFING 16 February 1955
"SHAKE-UP" IN SOVIET SUPREME COURT?
I. Against background. last week's dramatic ouster Malenkov,
Soviet announcement on 11 Feb of shifts in Supreme Court
had initial ominous flavor.
A. Supreme Soviet was told that six court members had been
relieved of their posts, seven new members appointed.
B. This large a number of changes, all at once, would be
quite unusual.
C. Curtailment of normal five-year term, in theory, occurs
only in event of criminal prosecution of court member
involved..
II.. Supreme Court has total 78 judges, divided. into 5 "collegial'
(criminal, civil, military, railroad transport, and. water
transport).
25X1
Five (possibly all six) of replaced court members
apparently on military Collegium, court that handles
high level counter-revolutionary trials.
1. Conducted purge trials of mid-1930's, which cemented
._ w
Stalin's power.
Tried Red. Army high command. (Marshal Tukhachevsky)
in 1937: condemned Beria (1953).
III, Thus, at first look, court shuffle could be interpreted as
move to clear decks for purge of Malenkov's supporters,
perhaps Malenkov himself.
Approved For Release 2002/08/06 : CIA
 Approved For Release 2002/08/06 : CIA-R79R00890A0OQ500020023-5
A, Both Malenkov's retention on Party Presidium and absence
of any confession of deviationist views (as distidct
from leadership failure) in his "resignation" statement,
suggest that Malenkov will not be purged immediately,
,if at all
.J
B, However, under Stalin, no man suffered. demotion like
Malenkov's without ultimately being liquidated.,
C, Furthermore, Khrushchev's equation of consumer's goods
men with "right deviationists" an ominous note.
V. However, view of court shake-up as preparation for purge is
far from conclusive.
A. First, although changes announced. after Malenkov fall,
actually five of six court ousters happened in August
'54; four of seven new appointments probably also came
then.
1, Difficult to relate August court action to February
drama.
Furthermore, two of six relieved on grounds "illness
and. poor health."
B. Finally, Supreme Court is largely rubber-stamp, under
orders of party; trials could be held and sentences
passed without fear of dissent or need for shuffle,
Approved For Release 2002/08/06 : CIA-RDP79R0089OA000500020023-5