A cable demanding the immediate release from prison of Frederik Weinreb, Dutch Jew convicted of embezzlement from Jews seeking to escape capture by the Gestapo, has been sent to the Dutch Minister of the Interior by Roger N. Baldwin, chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man.
Weinreb was convicted of the embezzlement charge after original charges of collaboration had “been dropped, and was sentenced to three-and-a half years imprisonment. Since he had been imprisoned more than two-and-a-half years awaiting trial, under Dutch custom, he should have been given his release after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
The public prosecutor, however, appealed the decision in the case and asked the higher court to increase Weinreb’s sentence to 10 years, the punishment the prosecution asked at the outset. Pending disposal of this appeal, Weinreb cannot be freed. Baldwin’s cable protested against this procedure and demanded “Weinreb’s release “in the name of justice.” The International League had an observer at the Weinreb trial.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
