European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 04, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Magazine Erich Honecker and the Rule of Law by Craig r Whitney new York times o Hlad of East German r. Communist of i a for nearly 20 years Erich Honecker a i Little use Lor Tho lutheran Church arid a presided Over a government thai hold thousands of political prisoners now. Wilh she stale seeking to to h m no month on charges of Irason Hon Cockcr has been forced to seek shelter in the spare room of a lutheran pastor and has turned to a Law or who specialised Lor years in Tho controversial business of Selling those political prisoners into ire Edorn in West Germany with Honecker s approval born in what is now West Germany Honecker who was operated on last month for kidney cancer is unlikely there bul his lawyer. Wolfgang Gogol said in his slut on the outskirts of Berlin i would to a terrible lawyer if i refused to lain front of a state of Ned apartment building what s happening Here a chaos. Logoi Sunj i very Hod / is afraid of Hoirup. a. To i j Kelse Ytit As he also Points out to a is More Tuik of an pc than there a Cears Honcle and other Cor Muni part leaders let turn Afranio releases of political prisoners and reunification of divided in Ronilio a tie West Gorman government paid for Tho with hard Cash but made the payments through Iho Church which saw to it that the Money wont Lor things thai benefited Ordinary people like oranges in food stores a total of 35 000 political prisoners were freed in this a Vogel said and Honecker. If he comes to trial can claim credit for letting him go ahead often Over the objections of other East German officials there Are people who say now thai buying political prisoners free was i very Noble he said out the fact is or got them All Iree and without Honecker i could 1 have done it lawyers Don i defend Iho deeds that people do. But the people themselves he said few people in East Germany today seem to understand that i own Brush with the Law came in Early december Mahuri ale Ander snack Volodkov sky Honecker s i Nan til i ooze denier asked him to Lake on his Case Shen m appear a that he would boar ested pm Char jes of graft Hen Schalck m hiding had a package of to Vujea ult ice the police t and asked him to turn them Oer he Vas held Foi 1-1 hours he refused until Fri Tor Hans Joachim he main Cher intervened and declared Tho ,or to be within his rights a e Are a Long Vao from the Rule of Law tie said adj that Itas Little wonder in a pare Germany that had not known it sunday february 4, 1930 the stars and stripes Page 13
