Show trials from "summary" of Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum
Show trials were a particularly sinister feature of communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe. These trials were carefully orchestrated to create a spectacle for the masses, designed to demonstrate the power and righteousness of the state. The accused were often prominent figures or intellectuals who were seen as a threat to the regime. The charges brought against them were usually trumped up or based on flimsy evidence. The trials were meticulously staged, with the outcome predetermined by the authorities. The accused were typically subjected to brutal interrogations and forced to confess to crimes they did not commit. These confessions were then used as evidence against them in court. The judges, who were nothing more than puppets of the state, invariably found the accused guilty and handed down harsh sentences. The pu...
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