[Ppnews] Court Agrees to Release of Most Rosenberg Grand Jury Materials

[Political Prisoner News]

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, July 22, 2008 - After hearing arguments today, a 
federal court in New York decided that the government must release 
most of the sealed grand jury records from the 1951 indictment of 
alleged Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. In response to a 
petition filed by the National Security Archive and others, the 
government conceded in a June filing that the Rosenberg case is of 
"significant historical importance" and therefore said it would not 
contest the release of testimony of witnesses who have passed away or 
consented to the disclosure.

On the basis of the government's concession, Judge Alvin K. 
Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of 
New York said today that he will order release of the testimony of 36 
witnesses. Judge Hellerstein reserved ruling on three additional 
witnesses that appear to be deceased and four witnesses that the 
government said it could not locate, and ordered the government to 
make greater efforts to confirm the status of these witnesses.

With regard to several living witnesses that objected to release of 
their testimony, including David Greenglass, Ethel Rosenberg's 
brother, Judge Hellerstein said he would deny the petition for 
release and allow these materials to remain secret. Finally, he 
suggested that grand jury materials from the related proceeding 
against Abraham Brothman and Miriam Moskowitz should be released, but 
said he will wait to rule until the government determines whether the 
witnesses are dead or consent to release.

Visit the Web site of the National Security Archive for more 
information about this case and today's posting.

http://www.nsarchive.org



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