In the US this week, a judgement was passed to maintain 98 year old, Miriam Moskowitz, of conspiracy to lie in court over allegations of spying for the Soviet Union during and post-World War Two.
The Russian native was convicted and served two years in 1950 for conspiracy to lie during her court hearing for suspected involvement with Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The Rosenbergs were convicted and eventually executed for spying for the Soviet Union and attempting to take US atomic secrets back to the USSR.
After being released from prison in 1952, Miriam remained in the US and has resided in New Jersey. She has been trying to clear her name since then, siting that her lawyers were not given access to documents and information that would show her innocence.
Judge Hellerstein, who heard the 98 year old’s renewed plea for innocence, would not agree to her request. He maintains that there is not enough proof that the trial result would have been any different today and that the evidence from 1950 still stood. Miriam conspired to lie in court with two other men during the investigation of her involvement in spying for the Soviet Union, the Mail Online reports.
Ms Moskowitz has been taking part in a reality documentary, whereby a film crew has followed her battle in the courts to prove her innocence. Miriam was disappointed with the result and is said to blame the paranoia and prejudice of the post-war years surrounding Cold War politics. She remains adamant that she is innocent.
Ms Moskowitz’s case was based on allegations that statements by the government witness, Harry Gold, would clear her of involvement and were not shared with the court at the time.The papers are said to have shown that Mr Gold stated Miriam was not aware of her counterparts’ plans to lie in court.
As top secret government documents have been released since the 1950s, they have proved Julius Rosenberg’s guilt, but not that of Ethel Rosenberg’s.