Schwartzbard trial
Sholem Schwartzbard's speech the court. Below him, Henri Torrès, his attorney. Oct. 1927 | |
| Native name | Процес Шварцбарда |
|---|---|
| Date | October 18–26, 1927 |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Type | Trial |
| Cause | Assassination of Symon Petliura |
| Motive | Revenge for antisemitic pogroms in Ukraine |
| Casualties | |
| Symon Petliura | |
| Accused | Sholem Schwarzbard |
| Charges | Murder |
| Verdict | Acquittal |
The Schwartzbard trial was a sensational 1927 French murder trial in which Samuel "Sholem" Schwartzbard was accused of murdering the Ukrainian immigrant and head of the Ukrainian government-in-exile Symon Petliura. The trial quickly began to revolve around Petliura's responsibility for the 1919-1920 pogroms in Ukraine, during which Schwartzbard had lost all 15 members of his family. During the trial, prosecution alleged that Schwartzbard was a Soviet agent and assassinated Petliura on Soviet orders. This view is still widely held, especially in Ukraine, but is far from universal. Schwartzbard was acquitted of all charges.