(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)
The trial of a Jewish student, Isaac Lespesiantu, took place before the Correctional Tribunal here. Lespesiantu was tried for having fired a revolver into the air to frighten off Cuzist students who attacked him.
Lespesiantu told the court that the students followed him out of a theatre he had attended and threatened to give him a beating. For some years past, he said, anti-Semitic students had been persecuting him and had threatened several times to kill him. On one occasion he had saved himself by taking refuge in the house of Col. Bolintinanu, who defended him. He bought the revolver because he felt that he was in constant danger.
The counsel for the defense, Advocate Balacianu, complained that he had not been allowed to see his client before the trial in order to prepare his defense. The case, he said, could not be tried apart from the whole question of the students’ movement in Roumania. There was a campaign against the Jewish students and Lespesiantu, who was affected by this campaign, had used his revolver in legitimate self-defense. There was no case to go to the jury.
The Tribunal decided, however, after a consultation of several hours, to confirm the arrest of Lespesiantu. Lespesiantu has lodged an appeal against the decision.
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