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Romania Begins Trial of War Criminals Charged with Murder of Thousands of Jews

May 16, 1945
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The trial of 26 war criminals, many of them charged with the deportation and murder of thousands of Jews, opened here yesterday before the Peoples Tribunal. Two public prosecutors are representing the state. The defendants face the death penalty.

Among those on trial are Colonel Yesipescu, who is charged with responsibility for the robbing and killing of more than 70,000 Jews who were deported to Transnistria Generals Matshitsh and Trestioreanu, who are accused of murdering 25,000 in Odessa, and General Calotescu who deported 80,000 Bukovina Jews to Transnistria where most of them died.

The Bucharest radio announced today that the Jews of northern Transylvania, which was recently returned to Rumania after having occupied by Hungary for several years, observed a day of mourning this week to mark the establishment of the first ghettes in Transylvania, and the beginning of the deportation of Jews. At ceremonies in the former ghetto districts, speakers praised the Groza government for having taken steps to eliminate racial hatred, the broadcast said.

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