European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 a the stars and stripes world Honecker 5 top aides go on trial Berlin apr facing relatives of East germans killed while trying to flee their regime former cd Nim nist Leader Erich Honecker and five of his top lieutenants went on trial for manslaughter thursday. The proceedings in a dark cramped Berlin courtroom Are considered Germany s most important criminal Case since the Niernberg War crimes trials. Honecker is 80 and suffers from liver cancer. But for Many germans his trial is a Long awaited Chance to bring to Justice a regime that ruled by terror until collapsing in 1989 in a peaceful revolution. The proceedings lasted just 45 minutes thursday before being recessed until monday. The recess apparently was meant to give court appointed doctors time to examine former East German Premier Willi Stop who did not show up. The 78-year-old Stop had suffered heart problems the night before his attorney said. Prosecutors were also to consider a request by another co defendant former secret police chief Erich Mielke. Mielke 84, is seeking to have his trial separated from the others. Honecker is accused in the killings of 13 people who tried to escape to West Germany. Nine of the victims were killed by mines and Booby traps at the Border. Four were shot at the Berlin Wall. The prosecution says the communist leadership gave the shoot to kill orders and ordered the installation of deadly Border devices. The defense intends to attack the Validity of the proceedings arguing that the soviets forced Honecker to use the guns and land mines. The team May Call former soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev As a witness. The prosecution denies the trial is politically motivated. It says the killings were crimes even under East German Law. Dressed in a Natty Blue suit and Maroon tie Honecker chatted calmly with one of his attorneys before the trial started. Mielke looked glum. Shortly before the trial about two dozen opponents of the proceedings stood outside the 86-year-old courthouse in Berlin s Moabite District. Quot Freedom for Erich Honecker and Erich Mielke a one woman in a Small group of demonstrators shouted into a megaphone. A few people who supported the trial were also on hand but the demonstrators were far outnumbered by journalists. Also on trial Are former defense minister Heinz Kessler 72 Hans Albrecht 72, once a party chief in Suhl and Deputy defense minister Fritz Streletz 66. All Are charged with manslaughter. Only Honecker Mielke and Stop Are charged in All 13 cases. It was not immediately Clear what would happen to the Case against Stop guarding against possible outbursts from spectators authorities barred any objects that could be hurled at Honecker. Among those named As victims is Chris Gueffroy fatally shot at the Wall at age 20 in february 1989 a the somalian Aid Nairobi Kenya apr a Convoy of 34 trucks a carrying food to starving somalis was raked by gunfire and halted near the South Central town of Bayd Habo an Aid official said thursday. Efforts to Aid the victims of drought and civil War in Somalia have been repeatedly thwarted by marauding bandits. Tons of food arc being warehoused in Mogadishu the somalian capital because Aid workers have found it unsafe to make deliveries. Wednesday s attack occurred on the outskirts of Bayd Habo said Rick Grant a spokesman for care International in Mogadishu. Only one truck got through to Bayd Habo to said and 27 returned the 125 Miles to Mogadishu. Quot the remainder Are presumed lost a he said. Grant said from the somalian capital that a gunfight broke out among guards on the trucks the hijackers for killings a Erich Honecker silting in the Berlin court Dock checks his flies before he and five others went on trial. Walls final victim. His Mother Karin Gueffroy is among five relatives of victims scheduled to appear in the Berlin District court As co prosecutors. Under German Law attorneys for the five can Cross examine the defendants. They sat opposite Honecker in the courtroom. Honecker a attorneys say he will use the forum to show the Quot True conditions during his 18-year Rule which ended in 1989. About 350 East germans were killed making a dash to Freedom Between 1961, the year the Berlin Wall went up under Honecker s supervision and 1989. Germany promised Honecker a fair hearing when he was returned to Berlin in july after 16 months As a fugitive in Moscow. Deciding on Legal motions could push Back the Start of testimony for Days if not weeks. Honecker already imprisoned to keep him from escaping again faces a minimum sentence of five years for each count of manslaughter if convicted. Chief judge Hansgeorg Brautigam estimates the trial could last two years although its doubtful All the defendants will live that raided and what apparently were just some local gun voters a he did not know whether there were any casualties. The trucks Drivers and guards were somali. Bayd Habo its population swollen to 80,000 by refugees from the Countryside is one of the hardest hit communities in Somalia s Southern famine Belt. Officials say As Many As 300 people die there every Day. By . Estimate up to 300,000 people already have died in Somalia a famine one of the worst on record. Two million More Are reportedly near starvation. Grant said the Aid Convoy was carrying 385 tons of food mostly wheat. Care a private Agency distributes food for the United nations throughout Southern Somalia. Three convoys carrying 825 tons of wheat and other food passed through Bayd Habo without incident monday Grant said. That food was distributed in outlying villages in an Effort to keep More refugees from flooding Bayd Habo. Friday november 13,1992russian military plane crashes kills All 23 aboard from wire reports Moscow a a russian military transport plane bound for Armenia crashed just after Takeoff from the Central Russia City of Tver killing 23 people the itar Tass news Agency reported thursday. Russian air Force officials said no one survived the crash of the fuel Laden plane late wednesday which caused an All night fire at Nekrasova near Tver. The an-22 was flying to Yerevan the armenian capital itar Tass said. The plane was carrying 16 passengers seven Crew members and a cargo of fabric paper and leather it reported. Woman a tried on Balcony Palermo Sicily a the Mother and relatives of a betrayed husband exacted their own form of punishment in this sicilian City they stripped his wife of most of her clothes forced her onto a Balcony and screamed insults at her published reports say. The incident was reported in several Northern papers reflecting Northern Italy a fascination with what some see As the dark Honor driven ways of the South. La Republica of Rome called the incident a Quot medieval the Story was on the front Page of la Stampa of Turin. According to the accounts the 25-year-old woman was seen embracing someone in a car. Her husbands Mother two Brothers and two other relatives decided to act without the husbands knowledge went to her Home struck her and Tore off her clothes the papers reported. They dragged her onto the Balcony where she was forced to stand in her underwear As the five insulted her. Some onlookers applauded. No one called police. The woman smother came to her Rescue the newspapers for women Only Seoul South Korea a commuter trains in Seoul will set aside coaches for women Only to protect them from pawing by male passengers. The korean National Railroad said thursday that it will designate two out of 10 coaches for Seoul area electric trains As Quot women Only starting next month. Many female passengers complain that in Rush hour crowds they can to escape molesting males. On subways pushers Are employed at Peak hours to squeeze passengers into the cars so the doors can jeans go to Bosnia Grenoble France a a French company has saved 12,000 confiscated counterfeit jeans from court ordered destruction and sent the pants to refugees in War torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 19-ton truckload left this Southeastern French City tuesday night for the Central bosnian towns of Zenia Ana Travnik. The towns Are crowded with refugees from areas captured by serbian forces. The counterfeit jeans seized in Spain last May Bear the name Quot Bonaventure a a Brand made by the firm Bri production based in Gieres near Grenoble. The company persuaded a judge in Nimes not to destroy the pants so that it could Send them to rites planned for Dodds principal Pitburg a Germany a amps a a memorial service will be held saturday at Pitburg a for educator Joseph p. Kane who died oct. 29 of stomach cancer. The service will be held at 10 30 . At the base Chape. Kane 67, had a four year bout with the illness. He was principal of Pitburg elementary school and had worked for the department of defense dependents schools for More than 35 years serving at various locations in Germany and England As a teacher assistant principal and principal halting food for the starving
