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Is Listening to RIAS Forbidden?
"Church and Radish"Y slest German, Februa   rj": Despite con-
trary reports recently circulated- in the. West German press, we learn
from Soviet Zone church authorities that no prohibition on     listen-
ing to Western stations exists...,but having listened to ',West German
or Lest Berlin stations plays a role when there are other charges
against a man."
"Der Tate                              195a: "IKurt Frank of Roehmhild,
Thuringia, was sentenced by the M1-einingen Criminal Court to four
months in prison and a fine of 300 East larks for having listened
to West German radio stations.I
"'Saechsische Zi i      Sod:en     ete                 The paper re-
'ported that Frau Christa .7ager of Dresden had been sentenced-to
18 months penal servitude for writing to RIAS. Although the Soviet
Zone constitution guarantees secrecy of the mails, her letter had
not reached RIAS, but was opened by the People's Police. (The case
was reported in detail in the New York "Herald Tribune l of October,
3, 195o.)
"Die        -2elt,  Iiab &%95:          "The district court
of
Schwerin sentenced a farmer to seven years of hard labor -for having
repeated news which he had heard over RIAS .... He- had stated that
a 'Hero of T7JorkI had fled to the West T... The verdict readq libdl
and agitation agaiust democratic organizations.'M
Depi      -Ri~sks1, Peop     ise
-  -        -       1        _ Ripp~t thele Listen
(The newspapers quoted are all Communist-controlled.)
ur              1achrichtenj      o        "A: "A cafe not far
from
Lunzenau offers its guests RIAS's reports on the FDJ rally. This
is really too much."
"M1aerkische To' lk sstimme",  i p         "People put up
with it
when .... radio dealer K7upiak daily and publicly lets RIAS shrill
out its provocations t"
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