www.ukrweekly.com Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. I I c. a fratarnal non-profit association| rainian Ш V Vol. LV No.10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1987 25 cents Hundreds mourn Grigorenko at services Survivors' memories appear unreliable in New York, South Bound Brook in Demjanjuk triars third week by Marta Kolomayets rights groups in the West, including Special to Svoboda and The Weekly press, "1 am full of admiration for the and Roma Hadzewycz representatives of the Wor1d Congress JERUSALEM - The unreliability witness 1 heard. 1 don't know where he NEW YORK/SOUTH BOUND of Free Ukrainians Human Rights of Treblinka survivors' memories was derives the strength to be able to discuss BROOK, N.J. - Gen. Petro Hryho- Commission, Smoloskyp, Americans repeatedly underlined by the defense the most minute details of the horrors of rovych Grigorenko, a decorated vete­ for Human Rights in Ukraine,.the team of John Demjanjuk, the former that camp." ran of the Red Army who met his Ukrainian Human Rights Committee Cleveland autoworker suspected of Mr. O'Connor continued to question greatest challenge as a defender of of Philadelphia, and the now-defunct being "Ivan the Terrible," during the Mr. Rosenberg about physical details of human and national rights, was laid to Committee for the Defense of Soviet trial's third week as prosecution wit­ Treblinka and about when he first rest at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Ortho­ Political Prisoners. nesses were cross-examined. arrived at the camp. Mr. Rosenberg dox Cemetery in South Bound Brook, A notable presence was that of During the court sessions (March 2- could not say exactly when he had N.J., on Saturday, February 28. Ukrainian veterans groups, ranging 5), two Treblinka survivors and a arrived. He now says this was before the Memorial services were held at the from former soldiers of the 1st Division member of the Israeli Police's National Jewish New Year (mid-September) of Jarema Funeral Home in Manhattan's of the Ukrainian National Army and Unit for Criminal Investigation testified 1942, although he had told investigators East Village, and a funeral liturgy was the Ukrainian Insurgent Army to U- for the prosecution. in February 1961 that he arrived there offered at St. Volodimir's Ukrainian krainian American Veterans and Ca­ on August 20, and at the Israeli trial of Orthodox Cathedral on West 82nd tholic War Veterans. Cross-examination of Eliyahu Ro­ Adolf Eichmann the date he cited was Street. It was the veterans who, at the request senberg continued on Monday, March June 11. Mr. Epstein gave various dates Hundreds attended services for the of Gen. Grigorenko's son, Andrew, 2, as Defense Attorney Mark O'Con­ for his arrival in testimony in 1976, repose of Gen. Grigorenko's sou1. acted as pallbearers. The coffin was nor attempted to point out even more 1978, 1983 and 1984. Among them were Ukrainians, Cri­ draped, also at the son's request, with a discrepancies in the witness's statements Also at the Eichmann trial, Mr. mean Tatars, Russians and Jews, and Ukrainian flag. and call into question his reliability. Rosenberg had stated that he was 35 at the former genc?rars colleagues from the During a memorial service on,Friday That morning's session was attended that time (in 1961), while, in fact, he was dissident movement in the Soviet evening, February 27, at the Jarema by 1sraeli Prime Mfnister Yitzhak 4d. Under cross-examination Mr. Ro­ Union. Funeral Home this champion of human Shamir, who watched the proceedings senberg could not ?Xplain the discre­ Present also were activists of human* rights was eulogized as a tireless spokes­ from a front-row seat. Mr. Shamir, pancy in his age and said that this was man for human and national rights who after spending an hour listening to Mr. immaterial. The witness kept returning (Continued on page 4) Rosenberg's testimony, later told the to descriptions of atrocities at the death Grigorenko recalled camp. He told the story of the arrival of a at Vienna parley Myroslav Medvid: the final story? group of Jews from Dubno. This group VIENNA — "Grigorenko is one by David R. Marples writer's view, was that the Soviet knew that it was being led to its death general who will not fade away," warn­ In October 1985, Myroslav Med­ authorities had detained Mr. Medvid and the people began running away in ed Robert Frowick, deputy chief of the vid made headhnes in the United in prison and then murdered him. a11 directions in a panic, he said. U.S. delegation to the Helsinki Ac­ States when he left his ship, the After his "fall" from his ship, And what happened to you? Mr. cords review conference, after a heated Marshal Koniev, which was docked Seaman Medvid, according to the O'Connor asked the witness. Mr. Ro­ exchange with the Soviets during a in New Orleans harbor, ostensibly to Soviet version, got caught on a rope senberg replied that the Jews from the February 27 plenary meeting of the seek political asylum. After negotia­ and injured his hand. He was hospi­ work gang were chased into the bar­ ongoing 35-nation East-VV^est confe­ tions with U.S. authorities, he sub­ talized upon his return to the USSR racks, and the guards began firing at the rence. sequently returned to the ship, al­ and after a "complex operation," group of prisoners. Mr. O'Connor According to observers from the though many felt that he had been decided40 change his career from asked, Were they firing from the U.S. Helsinki Commission, during the subjected to coercion by his Soviet that of a seaman to a coal miner (how towers? No, was the answer. The attor­ February 27 meeting, Mr. Frowick superiors. an injury to his hand should have ney asked, How did you see this if you delivered a statement from U.S. delega­ The Soviets have regarded the promoted such a move is unclear). were in the barracks? I was outside in tion chief Warren Zimmermann in event as a provocation on the part of The 1zvestia correspondent visited the yard and 1 saw everything, Mr. tribute to the recently deceased Petro the United States, and have accused the Chervonohrad mine in the Lviv Rosenberg answered. The work Jews Grigorenko, whose life, he said, "was the U.S. authorities of deliberately 0blast where Mr. Medvid is now were later told to dispose of the bodies. closely linked with the Helsinki pro­ creating the entire incident. employed. The mine director, Stepan In answer to the defense questions cess." The statement triggered angry On February 11, 1zvestia published Zhirii, noted that like all novices, Mr. about whether he and the other work protests from the Soviet delegation's an article titled *The Beginning and Medvid had been sent on a training Jews attempted to do anything to help deputy chief, Victor Shikalov, who End of One Sensation," which some­ course, and had now graduated to his this group of prisoners who were trying accused the United States of trying to what surprisingly — given that 16 apprenticeship. Mining, he stated, to run away, Mr. Rosenberg stood up undermine and explode the Vienna months has elapsed — focused once was in his blood. and began yelling that not even the meeting. again on Seaman Medvid. Mr. Medvid himself affirmed that worst anti-Semites had asked them such Mr. Shikalov further contended that 1n a preface to the article, corres­ his father had worked at a nearby a question. He said he could do nothing the U.S. speech was provocative and pondent V. Vukovich noted that the mine for 30 years before his retire­ to help, because if he had tried he would contrary to the rules of procedure young seaman had requested watch ment. However, he had resolved to have been killed by the one who is governing the Vienna meeting, a con­ duty, and was inspecting the ship's work at Chervonohrad since it is the sitting there, he said, pointing to Mr. tention that 10 Western countries, lights when he leaned over too far home village of his new wife, Lesya, Demjanjuk. including the three politically neutral and fell into the water, whereupon he who is expecting their first child. At this moment, Mr. Demjanjuk states of Switzerland, Sweden and required medical aid and was thus "This is all the more reason to study," called the witness a liar, using the Liechtenstein, staunchly contested. The taken back aboard for treatment. stated the director, becoming ani­ Hebrew words, "Ata shakran" (you are delegations, which also included Subsequently, the article began, a mated. 1n his opinion, Myroslav a liar). Canada, the United Kingdom, representative of the U.S. State must enter the local technical school, "Bear this in the context of a man Spain, 1taly, West Germany, France Department boarded the vessel and graduate and become a brigadier. sitting in a cell for one year, suffering in and Denmark, argued with Mr. Shika­ demanded an interview with Mr. The former seaman is also an his own way," the defense attorney lov on the principle that sovereign Medvid, who, it was stressed, never accomplished musician, according to interjected. "He said what he said in countries are free to discuss any issues signed an appeal to request political the account. A graduate of Lviv Hebrew... to show us he's human, to they deem relevant to the important asylum despite many hours of inter­ music college, he p1ays in the mine's show us he has emotions." East-West conference, including hu­ rogation.