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Show WORLD Standard-Examiner Thursday, July 30, 1992 SA Honeckerreturns to a homeland bitterly divided over his fate BERLIN (AP) — Germans screaming accused of embezzlement and issuing “Murderer!” and a sign reading “Ench Hoex-East German leader and Berlin Wall shoot-to-kill orders to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. He was to appear today before a judge builder when he was returned to his home- to determine if he should remain jailed, land and placed under arrest. and it will be up to the courts to decide when his trial will start, said Jutta Lim- necker, the dead accuse you,” greeted the But other Germans chanted “Freedom for Honecker” on Wednesdayas the leader »f a country that disappeared after he was toppled in October 1989 arrived from refuge in Russia and was driven to Moabit Prison. Many Germans are divided on thelegality of prosecuting Honecker. Others are divided on the wisdom. During a trial, Honecker could disclose secrets embarrassing to Chancellor Helmut Kohl and previous governments that cultivated ties with East Germany from the 1970s. The aging Communist, who defiantly raised a clenched fist as he left Moscow, is bach, Berlin’s top justice official. “I expect it will still be sometime this year,” she said. Honecker, 79, has categorically denied the charges and his lawyer says the ex-leader is too ill to stand trial. Medical tests conducted in Moscow showed no serious problems, however. German doctors have ruled Honecker fit enoughto bejailed. He “gave the impression of being fully aware of his situation,” said Moabit prison director Christoph Fluegge. “At least he'll get a trial, which is more than he gave people.” said Alison Ernst, among several hundred people who crowded the entrance of the prison Wednesday to get a glimpse of Honecker’s armival. “Honecker broke the law. It’s high time he came back to face justice,” said Walter Thraene, 65, who was jailed for 10 years by the Communists. He spoke from his homein Eisenhuettenstadt, near the Polish border. Honecker, who had taken refuge in the Chilean Embassy in Moscow, was flown to Berlin in a sudden end to his 17-month attempt to find asylum abroad. Chilean government officials and Russia’s Foreign Ministry said today that Honecker flewto Berlin voluntarily. Russian told the spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky Russia and Chile Interfax news agency that had decided he was an “unwelcome guest” emopt former Soviet CoymmunNist party newspaper today accused former Soviet leader Mi khail Gorbachey and Russian President Boris Yeltsin of betraying Honecker “Forgive us, Erich Honecker!” Pravda said. Germany, Russia's biggest creditor, had long been pressuring Moscow toreturn Honecker. His, wife, Margot, departed Thursday from Moscow and was expected to arrive Friday in the Chilean capital, Santiago, where the couple’s daughter, Sonja, lives Earlier reports said she had left Moscow on Wednesday with her husband. German press reports had said Honeck- er threatened to kill himself rather than face trial, and Fluegge said he was “thoroughly searched” to prevent a suicide at- esr he Bonn-based Die We newsp ported that Honecker washeld in the samejail by the Nazis d period before re. it 2 he was sen- tenced to a pnson outside "Berti n He survived 10 years imprisonmentby the Nazis now faces 49 counts of manlai and 25 of attempted manslaughter, accused of having ordered border guards to shoot people trying to escape East Germany Heis also accused of embezzlement and abuse of authority in arranging a sumptuous lifestyle for himself and other Communist brass. Manslaughter carries a minimumn five: impris- year sentence in Germany, or life onment in especially serious cas Legitimacy of Germany is on tral BERLIN (AP) — Erich Honecker thrust a defiant fist in the air when hefinally left Russia to face justice in Germany. But it is a handshake he gave five years ago that could help decide his fate. If East Germany’s former Communist Party chief is found fit to stand trial on manslaughter and corruption charges, the very legiti- macy of the nation he ran could also go ontrial. Berlin justice officials plan to pursue a case aimed at simply proving that Honecker committed manslaughter by ordering his border guards to kill people who tried to flee the country. Honecker, 79, is also charged with funneling state money for his personal use. savings up to 70% “It won’t be a showtrial,” said Berlin Justice Minister Jutta Limbach. “Honecker is not standing trial as a representative of an ideol- ogy, but is charged with manslaughter.” But many people expect Honeck- er to argue that former West Germany recognized the legitimacyof East Germany when Chancellor Helmut Kohl, now the leader of the united Germany, hosted a Honecker visit in 1987. During the five-day trip — the first by an East German Communist Party chief to West Germany — the two leaders signed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement and agreed to boost bilateral Our SUPERSHOE CLEARANCEstarts right on the dot! Take an Extra 20% OFF trade. They shook hands, they drank toasts. Bonn rolled out the red carpet for Honecker. All this on the heels of a year in which the two nations had nearly $8 billion in trade. Honeckerpredicted then that his A huge selection of Shoes! Look for the BRIGHT GREEN DOTS and save an extra 20%OFF already reduced prices on hundredsof styles! NIKE, REEBOK, ADIDAS, HEAD, NEW BALANCE & more! country eventually would have normal border relations with West Germany, which some officials in Bonn optimistically took to mean that the shoot-to-kill orders would be lifted. Even though West Germany never formally recognized Communist East Germany as a sovereign State, the visit was viewed by some as a tacit acknowledgement of its existence. Despite their ideological differences, the nations cooperated for gly Maa SUMMERCLEARANCE PRICES ON YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS GEAR AND Py years. West Germany used to pay East Germany millions of dollars to take its toxic waste, for example. Robert Gerald Livingston, a German specialist for the U.S. National Security Council in the 1970s, said western German au- thorities are putting their own pasts up for inspection by prosecuting Honecker. “There is a bit of irony that they dealt with these guys,” he said in a telephone interview from Washington, where he now heads the American Institute for Contemporary GermanStudies. “It (a trial) will highlight the conduct of West Germans during the 1980s, their dealings with Honecker,” he said. “Honecker will try to maintain that (East Germany) was a State like any other.” Walter Thraene, who fled East Germany for Austria in 1962 but was kidnapped by the secret police and jailed for 10 years, wondered whether Honecker’s return would lead to new revelations about the quiet Cold War ties between the two Germanys. “It will be interesting to see whether any heads will roll,” he said, But a German judge, speaking Wednesday night on condition of anonymity, noted that judges in this country exert more control over the content of the criminal tnals than judges do in the United States, He said it would be difficult for OFF OFF 0% to 30% A wide selection of TENTS, BACKPACKS, from NIKE, REEBOK, SLEEPING BAGS! 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