The U.S. government is expected to release soon testimony transcripts from dozens of witnesses in the Rosenberg espionage case.
U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan ruled Tuesday that the testimony of a key witness, Ethel Rosenberg’s brother David Greenglass, would remain sealed, however, citing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings.
Historians had appealed for release of the testimony, which led to the 1953 executions of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in one of the most notorious spy cases of the Cold War era. The Rosenbergs were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.
The government agreed to unseal the bulk of the material, objecting in a handful of cases where the witnesses objected or could not be located.
A lawyer for Greenglass argued that the case remained an emotional matter for his client and his family. The historians countered that the significance of the case should trump privacy concerns.
Hellerstein has yet to rule on the government’s other objections.
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