The Israel Foreign Office disclosed today that Yehuda Cogan, who was arrested by Soviet police during a visit to the Soviet Union with a group of Israeli tourists last summer, has been sentenced by a Ukrainian court to ten years at hard labor on desertion charges.
The trial and conviction were disclosed by an official of the Near Eastern department of the Soviet Foreign Office who contacted a representative of the Israeli Embassy in Moscow and read him a statement on the case.
The statement said that Cogan was tried on September 24 “in the presence of lawyers” and that the Israeli “confirmed fully all the charges against him.” These were that while he was on active duty with the Soviet army he “betrayed his homeland.” The specific charge was that he had been on duty in Germany in 1945 and “went over” to the British occupation zone, from there to the American zone and from there to Palestine in 1947.
It was noted here that while the trial took place in September it was not until last Monday that Israel was informed about the trial and conviction and this information was provided only after many inquiries by Israel about Cogan’s fate. He went alone on his visit, his entire family remaining in Israel.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
