BARBARIC CRUELTY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1933, Page 5

BARBARIC CRUELTY

UPON UKRAINIANS

POLISH ATROCITIES DISCLOSED.

(United Press Association—By Electric

Teiegraph—Copyright.)

(Received Jan. 28th. at 8.-10 a.m.) LONDON, January 2,.

The “Sun” says that the‘Poles have organised a systematic and deliberate upv-re'.-isum of tli.-i UkiLiniaus, which *he League Assembly is shortly expected to consider. It lias become much worse last year, and the persecution varies from petty obstruction and chicanery to barbarous inhumanities c/n prisoners, which ahe western mind can hardly conceive, yet are common,places in Polish Ukraine. Five lads under twenty were tried at Przemysl for belonging to a nationalist organisation. They confessed after torture, in which their hair was pulled out, they were not allowed to sleep for nights, and the soles of their feet were beaten, which is one of the most common of tortures in prisons, the pain being excruciating.

Another Ukranian, named Jvassak, suspected of complicity in the murder of a Polish politician, was tied to a bench, face downwards, his feet being wrapped in wet rags, and the soles of liis feet beaten, which inflicts intolerable agony, and leaves no scar. Kassak was then turned over and beaten on his stomach. Ho was then gagged, and water was pou-red into his nostrils until his stomach was distended, and sensations of drowning produced.

Details of other tortures applied to peasants suspected of nationalism are unprintable. Even children were arrested. There were over a hundred executions last year for political offences whereof many were innocent.