March 11-17, 1975, the Supreme Court of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Lithuania considered the criminal case of Juozas Gražys. The presiding judge was Jankauskas; prosecutor — Bakučionis; counsel for the defense — Kudaba.
Even though the court session was not closed, it was impossible for members of the public to gain access to it. No one close to Gražys was present at the trial. The following were called into court as witnesses: Povilas Petronis, Jonas Stašaitis, Miss Kazėnaitė, (Mrs.) Martinaitienė, (Mrs.) Žemaitienė ir Šemaška-Šemaškevičius.
Gražys is being tried for the third time .
Gražys was accused of helping to collate the Chronicle and of collaboration in gathering news for it. Gražys had alledgedly collated a few issues of the first numbers of theChronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania and about twenty copies of Number 7. He had also reproduced by typewriter a few pamphlets: Between Two Laws, Bishop Matulionis, Problems of the Lithuanian Character, The Trial of Simas Kudirka, Lithuania on the Road to Victory, The Distribution of the National Income (translated by Gražys from the Russian and distributed by him), To You, Lithuania (made a summary).
During the trial, Gražys refused to say where he got and to whom he gave the aforementioned publications. He was charged with violating Article 68 of the Criminal Code of the LSSR, Part 1, "Anti-Soviet Agitation and Propaganda, Aimed at Weakening the Soviet Government" ... The prosecutor suggested a sentence of six years of hard labor, but the court ordered only three years of prison. The court decided to confiscate Gražys' typewriter, to destroy three high voltage blocks for the "Era" mimeograph machine found at Gražys' home during the search, and to return his money. Captain of Security Markevičius and other Security agents were constantly seen at the trial.
It was the third conviction for Gražys. The first two times he had also been tried for "politics". While serving his second term Gražys had become ill with an incurable disease of the intestines.
