E. Germany Grants Amnesty to Refugees and Demonstrators

East Germany today announced an amnesty for pro-democracy demonstrators and hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled to the West in recent weeks or were caught trying to escape since the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

The move was expected to free several thousand people from prison.

East German dissidents praised the action in the wake of widespread civil unrest as an “important” step toward fulfilling promises of reform by the new government of Egon Krenz.

In West Germany, however, officials were cautious, saying those pardoned should not have been considered criminals in the first place.

The amnesty, announced by the official East German news agency ADN, was drawn up by the Council of State headed by Krenz, who replaced hard-line conservative Communist leader Erich Honecker last week.

Krenz has promised to introduce reform in East Germany in the face of street protests--and the exodus of more than 65,000 refugees to the West in recent weeks.

Under the terms of the amnesty, all refugees who have fled to the West and those caught attempting to escape are pardoned, providing nonviolent methods were used to reach freedom.

The decree makes it possible for refugees, once barred from East Germany, to return without fear of criminal prosecution. The amnesty also applies to everyone who fled East Germany since the Berlin Wall went up Aug. 13, 1961.

“Also amnestied are people who before Oct. 27 committed criminal acts against public and state order in connection with demonstrations and meetings,” an article of the decree said.

But the decree said the amnesty will not cover people who had used or advocated violence, endangered the life or health of others, or had carried firearms or used violent methods to escape.

The decree applies not only to the 670,000 East Germans who have fled to the West over the last 28 years, but also to those jailed for trying to flee across the wall or other barriers on the East-West border.

Attempted escapes have been punished by prison terms ranging from two to eight years. After release those convicted of trying to flee are often severely discriminated against, making it difficult to find employment and apartments.

The decree appeared aimed at not only appeasing the tens of thousands who demonstrate daily against the Communist government demanding reform but at inducing many of those 65,000 who recently fled to return home. The amnesty ends the main legal barrier blocking their return.

The government already has said it will help them financially should they come back.

It was not known exactly how many pro-democracy demonstrators would be covered by the amnesty. Thousands were arrested in protests Oct. 7-9 during the visit of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, before Krenz was placed in power and adopted a new policy of tolerance and non-interference.

The new government has been trying to channel demands for reform into mass meetings at which government and Communist leaders appear.