SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AMNESTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R000300060001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 30, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 50-Y72013/07/17 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000300060001-1
uurin UHL
Sec Information
50X1
Country:
Subject:
Place
Acquired:
Date
Acquired:
Date of
Information:
USSR
Significance of the Amnesty
??? .....
50X1
Believed 30 Mar 53
is unDva:rcial iiiformaron for US Officials
Only is suppi;ed for to posse interest of
your anal sts. It ['ton not wairant issemi
nation by
50X6
50X1
1. "...It was my intention to yarn you against interpretation because
the whole thing [the amnesty 7 did not seem clear at all. Every
one of the Russians with whom I have spoken 2:-DP's in the US 7
thought the amnesty was tremendously important, but they did not
agree on its portent and significance because no one [of them 7
had found time to look up the penal code.
2. "This I have done nov...Our findings show that the military offenses
which are included fin the amnesty 7 cover quite minor matters--
everything important has been omitted.
3. "Artiele 58 of the code dealing with counterrevolutionary crimes is
included in the amnesty, but of its 15 paragraphs there are only 3
which provide for sentences covered by the amnesty. The other 12
paragraphs either call for death sentence'or for very long prison
terms.
4. "The meaning of the amnesty is therefore (1) to recognize the neces-
sity of blat, the black market, since practically all those condemned
for embezzlement of kolkhoze and state property or for violations
CONF1J1FtTIAL
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/17: CIA-RDP83-00423R000300060001-1
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release
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of the kolkhoze statutes are freed; (2) to win over most of those
who were sent to labor camps or imprisoned for minor military of-
fenses, really for no specific reason at all, after they are re-
turned from occupied territories. Almost everybody here [DP's I
have talked to in the US 7 think that at least 2 million people
will be freed...When Russians do something, they do it in a big way.
Two million is not many at all. Many more must be imprisoned or en-
camped for black market crimes alone.
5. "...While the main purpose of the amnesty must be to create goodwill
for Malenkov and comvany, it still seems strange that the decree
should not have said: 'This amnesty was something great Stalin had
Intended.' Without referring to him [Stalin 7 the man in the
street is bound to say: 'The old buzzard is gone, good. Now they
will give a little freedom.'
6. "But I agree that this is speculation--only it is not my speculation
alone but everybody's, old and new emigres.
7. "I was personally interested in the amnesty and have been trying to
find out what it meant...I believe it will be a big topic inside
and outside the USSR for some time. It might be interesting to
note who is included in the amnesty and who is left out and then to
conclude that the amnesty is really a sop thrown to the elements of
corruption."
- end -
CONFID
Semi nformat ion
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/17: CIA-RDP83-00423R000300060001-1