4 E. Germans Given Exit Visas

East Germany sent four dissidents, including a protest songwriter and his actress wife, to West Germany today and the Communist state’s top lawyer said all 22 dissidents detained since a thwarted protest last month would be freed.

Songwriter Stephan Krawczyk and his theater producer and actress wife Freya Klier were freed from custody, given exit visas and left the country, the East German news agency ADN said. They had faced possible treason charges. They had previously said they wanted to stay in East Germany to work for reform. West German border police said the two dissidents crossed to the West with activist Bert Schlegel and a fourth person believed to be his girlfriend.