Arrests and deportations were made simply based on citizens' ethnic, familial, or political associations. During the years of these occurrences, Stalin, as a leader, failed to offer counsel to his apprehensive citizens.
Ethnicity
"Chapter X: Article 123
Equality of rights of citizens of the U.S.S.R., irrespective of their nationality or race, in all spheres of economic, state, cultural, social and political life, is an indefeasible law. Any direct or indirect restriction of the rights of, or conversely, any establishment of direct or indirect privileges for citizens on account of their race or nationality, as well as any advocacy of racial or national exclusiveness or hatred and contempt is punishable by law." Source: 1936 Constitution of the U.S.S.R, 1996
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The NKVD unconstitutionally purged almost all ethnic Koreans, Jews, and Germans in the Soviet Union because they were "enemies of the people" based on mere suspicions Stalin had.
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Trotskyists
Vyshinsky, the public prosecutor of the Show Trials, agreed that more drastic measures be taken against Trostkyists, disregarding the "equality of rights of citizens of the U.S.S.R., irrespective of their... political life". |
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Speak Out!
"Article 58- 12
Failure to denounce a counterrevolutionary crime, reliably known to be in preparation or carried out, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term not less than six months." Source: Article 58 Criminal Code of the RSFSR (1934), 2014
Failure to denounce a counterrevolutionary crime, reliably known to be in preparation or carried out, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term not less than six months." Source: Article 58 Criminal Code of the RSFSR (1934), 2014
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Source: Joseph Stalin: Red Terror, 2013
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"Family members of people arrested could be held accountable for not having turned them in! That is a hard responsibility." -Kathleen Smith, author of Remembering Stalin's Victims and professor, Email Interview |