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| Poland's former leader on trial | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Poland's last communist leader, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, has gone on trial accused of committing a crime by imposing martial law in 1981. | |
| Eight other former officials will also be tried for the clampdown against the opposition Solidarity movement, during which dozens of people were killed. | Eight other former officials will also be tried for the clampdown against the opposition Solidarity movement, during which dozens of people were killed. |
| Gen Jaruzelski, who is now 84 and in poor health, says he had to act to prevent a Soviet invasion of Poland. | Gen Jaruzelski, who is now 84 and in poor health, says he had to act to prevent a Soviet invasion of Poland. |
| If found guilty he faces up to 10 years in prison. | |
| Although there is little public clamour in Poland to send Mr Jaruzelski to prison, a crowd of journalists and members of the public packed the courtroom as the trial began. | |
| Gen Jaruzelski and three of his co-defendants were identified before a panel of judges. | |
| Four of the eight accused men were absent, citing poor health. | |
| 'Lesser evil' | 'Lesser evil' |
| Reading the charges, the prosecutor said the men had violated their own communist constitution when they created what he called a "criminal military organisation" to implement martial law in December 1981. | |
| The trial, in Warsaw, marks the first time Poland has held its former communist leaders criminally responsible for imposing martial law. | |
| Immediately after the fall of communism in 1989, the new Solidarity government rejected calls for political retribution. | Immediately after the fall of communism in 1989, the new Solidarity government rejected calls for political retribution. |
| But in recent years moves to bring the senior communist party leaders to account for martial law have hastened. | But in recent years moves to bring the senior communist party leaders to account for martial law have hastened. |
| Gen Jaruzelski has always maintained he chose the lesser evil when he ordered tanks onto the snowbound city streets on that night in 1981. | Gen Jaruzelski has always maintained he chose the lesser evil when he ordered tanks onto the snowbound city streets on that night in 1981. |
| If he had not acted against Solidarity, he says, Soviet troops would have. | If he had not acted against Solidarity, he says, Soviet troops would have. |
| According to surveys, many Poles believe him. | According to surveys, many Poles believe him. |