MARIAN ROZEN

[1.] Rank, name and surname of the witness:

Rifleman Marian Rozen

[2.] Expulsion of the civilian population. Its course and conditions:

I witnessed those sentenced to expulsion (mostly women and children) being kept for a few days in an open, unheated building of Oranchitsy station near Pruzhany, while the temperature outside was minus 30 degrees Celsius.

[3.] Methods of interrogating and torturing the detainees during investigation:

We received no food. Many people fainted and – as I’d been told – there were two deaths. During the investigation, I was kept along with twenty-something other inmates, also Poles, in a cell of a capacity of about 20 cubic meters. The hygienic conditions were below all criticism. The methods of examination were inquisitorial. During interrogations – which almost always took place at night – people were beaten, kicked, and called by the worst names. Personal dignity was degraded and the most awful threats were thrown around. The mode of trial and the procedure – contrary to the cardinal rules adopted by the civilized world. Multiple-instance system of legal proceedings and directness – unknown. Five- and ten-year in absentia sentences were commonplace. The sentences were announced by simply making them known to the convicts, after they had already served the sentence in camps. I know of many instances where people had not heard their sentence until they were released. While I was being evacuated from the Karelo-Finnish SSR to Arkhangelsk (500 kilometers on foot!), we were fed 500 grams of bread per day, and some un-nutritious soup. Disease and exhaustion were not taken into account, rifle butts and fists were used to force us to march. We were tortured by not being let to the water.

[7.] Life in forced labor camps (organization of camps and work quotas):

Life in the camp (Karelo-Finnish SSR, 2lagpunkt [labor camp]): a camp in the taiga; ruined wooden buildings, lots of rats and bugs, prisoners infested with lice. Unattainable work quotas. Bad food in small quantities. A complete lack of fats, sugar, tobacco. 95 percent of the prisoners had scurvy.

Clothing: wadded clothes, rubber slippers – some people had shoes or felt boots, and wicker slippers in summer. The medical care was insufficient. Surroundings: Russian criminals with sentences from three years up.

Place of stay, 16 March 1943