News Brief

Another prisoner is Aahron (Arkady) Shpilberg. Following his arrest, his wife gave birth to their second child. “His behavior under interrogation has, throughout, been magnificent,” according to “Underground.” “He is refusing to cooperate with the interrogators, declaring innocence of the crime he has allegedly committed.” A third prisoner is Mikhail Shapishlovsky. He, too, is refusing to admit to the alleged crime of which he is to be charged and refuses to testify against the others who will be tried with him. There is no immediate information about the fourth prisoner. “Underground” also reports that “extraordinary efforts are being made by the security authorities to ensure that the families of the accused will have no means to communicate to the outside world the events in the courtroom. Thus, the relatives of the accused have been instructed to appear at the trial not as observers but as witnesses. This will deprive them from attending any of the sessions and will only appear for their own cross-examination.” Mrs. Rivka Aleksandrovich, Ruth’s mother, currently on tour in the United States to enlist public opinion on behalf of her daughter and the other Riga prisoners, has confirmed reports that several Riga Jews have been given exit visas so that they would not be present to testify on behalf of the accused. One of the persons removed from the scene was Isaiah Auerbach, Ruth’s fiancee, who was tried before an administrative court and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment on the charge of “disobedience toward the authorities and the police.” The couple were to have been married two days before Ruth’s arrest.