This article is about the hijacking committed with the aim of fleeing East Germany in 1978. For the flight with the same flight number that crashed in 1969, see LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165.
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking was the hijacking of a LOT Polish Airlines that occurred on 30 August 1978.[1] The hijackers from East Germany (GDR) were seeking political asylum in West Germany (FRG). The plane landed safely, and the primary hijacker was tried and convicted by a West German jury in the United States Court for Berlin and sentenced to time served, the nine months he had already served during pretrial detention. This was the only case heard before the United States Court for Berlin.
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking
The hijacked Tu-134 at Tempelhof on 30 August 1978
The GDR citizens Hans Detlef Alexander Tiede (aka Detlev Tiede) and his friend Ingrid Ruske and her 12-year-old daughter had travelled to Poland to meet with Ruske's West German boyfriend Horst Fischer, who had planned to bring forged West German papers to enable their escape by ferry to West German Travemünde.[2] However, Fischer did not turn up, and after four days of waiting for him Ruske and Tiede – not having any information as to his whereabouts – concluded that Fischer must have been arrested when travelling through East Germany.[2] Their conclusion was right, as Fischer had indeed been arrested and would later be sentenced to eight years of jail in East Germany for preparing their Republikflucht ("desertion from the Republic"), a crime under GDR law.
On 30 August 1978, Tiede and Ruske hijacked a Polish LOT Tupolev Tu-134 airliner with 62 passengers making Flight 165 from Gdańsk to East Berlin. Tiede, armed with the toy starting pistol, took a flight attendant hostage and succeeded in forcing the aircraft to land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin.[4]
Of the 62 passengers, there were 50 GDR citizens, 10 Polish citizens, a man from Munich and a woman from West Berlin. The passengers were given the opportunity to remain in West Berlin or to return to East Berlin. Not only did Tiede, Ruske and her daughter claim sanctuary in West Berlin, but so did another seven East Germans:[4] a radiology assistant from Erfurt, a couple with two children and a couple from Leipzig, although the radiology assistant returned to East Germany the next day.[5] The remaining passengers were interviewed and taken to East Berlin on a bus.[5]
Trialedit
The West German Federal Government was unwilling to prosecute Tiede and Ruske because of the West German policy of supporting the right of East Germans to flee oppression in the GDR. The United States government had successfully persuaded the East German government to sign a hijacking treaty. Consequently, the case was prosecuted in the United States Court for Berlin, with charges bought under the terms of The Hague Convention as incorporated into the laws of the United States, as the plane landed at a US Air Force base.[4][6]
US federal judgeHerbert Jay Stern ruled that the defendants were entitled to be tried by a jury, as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a procedure abolished in Germany by the Emminger Reform of 1924.[2][4] The case against Tiede's co-defendant Ingrid Ruske was dismissed because she had not been notified of her legal rights before signing a confession. Tiede was acquitted on three charges, including hijacking and possession of a firearm, but convicted of taking a hostage. The jury found Tiede guilty of hostage-taking, but not guilty of acts against the safety of civil aviation, deprivation of liberty and battery.[2] The minimum sentence for hostage-taking was three years.[2] However, Stern sentenced Tiede to time served during pretrial detention, about nine months.[4] Stern accounted for Tiede's emergency situation and plight to face imprisonment in East Germany for attempted Republikflucht.[2]
^(in German) – "Lars-Broder Keil, "Aus der Flucht wird eine politische Affäre" (trl. The escape turns into a political affair". Berliner Morgenpost. 31 August 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
^ abcdefgh(in German) – "Joachim Nawrocki, "Berlin: "Wollen Sie solche Richter?"" (trl.: Berlin: "Is this the kind of judges you want?") 11". Die Zeit. 6 January 1979. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
^(in German) – Matthias Göpfert, LexiTV – Wissen für alle (trl. LexiTV – Knowledge for all), first transmitted in April 2001, retransmitted in "Entführungen" (trl. kidnappings) by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk-Fernsehen on 23 September 2008, 14:30h.
^ abcde"US Judge: Berlin Plane Hijack Trial Had Parallels to Guantanamo". Deutsche Welle. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
^ ab"Hijacked to Capitalism: Unwitting East German Defectors Revisit Decision to Stay or Go". Der Spiegel. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^. United States High Commissioner for Germany. 14 March 1979. Archived from the original on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2009. This is a criminal proceeding arising out of the alleged diversion ... of a Polish aircraft by the defendants from its scheduled landing in East Berlin to a forced landing in West Berlin. United States authorities exercised jurisdiction over this matter and convened this Court
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This article is about the hijacking committed with the aim of fleeing East Germany in 1978 For the flight with the same flight number that crashed in 1969 see LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking was the hijacking of a LOT Polish Airlines that occurred on 30 August 1978 1 The hijackers from East Germany GDR were seeking political asylum in West Germany FRG The plane landed safely and the primary hijacker was tried and convicted by a West German jury in the United States Court for Berlin and sentenced to time served the nine months he had already served during pretrial detention This was the only case heard before the United States Court for Berlin LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijackingThe hijacked Tu 134 at Tempelhof on 30 August 1978HijackingDate30 August 1978SummaryHijackingSiteHijacker forced the aircraft to land at U S Air Force base at Tempelhof Airport in West BerlinAircraft typeTupolev Tu 134OperatorLOT Polish AirlinesRegistrationSP LGCFlight originGdansk AirportDestinationSchonefeld AirportPassengers62Crew7Fatalities0Injuries0Survivors69 Contents 1 Background 2 Hijacking 3 Trial 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Further reading 8 External linksBackground editThe GDR citizens Hans Detlef Alexander Tiede aka Detlev Tiede and his friend Ingrid Ruske and her 12 year old daughter had travelled to Poland to meet with Ruske s West German boyfriend Horst Fischer who had planned to bring forged West German papers to enable their escape by ferry to West German Travemunde 2 However Fischer did not turn up and after four days of waiting for him Ruske and Tiede not having any information as to his whereabouts concluded that Fischer must have been arrested when travelling through East Germany 2 Their conclusion was right as Fischer had indeed been arrested and would later be sentenced to eight years of jail in East Germany for preparing their Republikflucht desertion from the Republic a crime under GDR law Ruske and Tiede then concluded that they were trapped and that prison awaited them if they returned to East Germany 2 So they developed a plan to hijack a plane headed for East Berlin s Schonefeld Airport and force a landing at the U S Air Force base at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin 2 They bought a toy starting pistol at a Polish flea market and then booked three tickets on LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 from Gdansk Poland to East Berlin 3 Hijacking editOn 30 August 1978 Tiede and Ruske hijacked a Polish LOT Tupolev Tu 134 airliner with 62 passengers making Flight 165 from Gdansk to East Berlin Tiede armed with the toy starting pistol took a flight attendant hostage and succeeded in forcing the aircraft to land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin 4 Of the 62 passengers there were 50 GDR citizens 10 Polish citizens a man from Munich and a woman from West Berlin The passengers were given the opportunity to remain in West Berlin or to return to East Berlin Not only did Tiede Ruske and her daughter claim sanctuary in West Berlin but so did another seven East Germans 4 a radiology assistant from Erfurt a couple with two children and a couple from Leipzig although the radiology assistant returned to East Germany the next day 5 The remaining passengers were interviewed and taken to East Berlin on a bus 5 Trial editThe West German Federal Government was unwilling to prosecute Tiede and Ruske because of the West German policy of supporting the right of East Germans to flee oppression in the GDR The United States government had successfully persuaded the East German government to sign a hijacking treaty Consequently the case was prosecuted in the United States Court for Berlin with charges bought under the terms of The Hague Convention as incorporated into the laws of the United States as the plane landed at a US Air Force base 4 6 US federal judge Herbert Jay Stern ruled that the defendants were entitled to be tried by a jury as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution a procedure abolished in Germany by the Emminger Reform of 1924 2 4 The case against Tiede s co defendant Ingrid Ruske was dismissed because she had not been notified of her legal rights before signing a confession Tiede was acquitted on three charges including hijacking and possession of a firearm but convicted of taking a hostage The jury found Tiede guilty of hostage taking but not guilty of acts against the safety of civil aviation deprivation of liberty and battery 2 The minimum sentence for hostage taking was three years 2 However Stern sentenced Tiede to time served during pretrial detention about nine months 4 Stern accounted for Tiede s emergency situation and plight to face imprisonment in East Germany for attempted Republikflucht 2 In popular culture editThe 1984 book which Judge Stern wrote about the event Judgment in Berlin was made into a movie of the same name in 1988 Martin Sheen depicted him 7 See also editPortals nbsp West Germany nbsp Poland nbsp United States nbsp Aviation nbsp 1970s Eastern Bloc emigration and defection Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial another trial by judges from a judiciary other than the host nationNotes edit in German Lars Broder Keil Aus der Flucht wird eine politische Affare trl The escape turns into a political affair Berliner Morgenpost 31 August 2008 Retrieved 25 July 2009 a b c d e f g h in German Joachim Nawrocki Berlin Wollen Sie solche Richter trl Berlin Is this the kind of judges you want 11 Die Zeit 6 January 1979 Retrieved 25 July 2009 in German Matthias Gopfert LexiTV Wissen fur alle trl LexiTV Knowledge for all first transmitted in April 2001 retransmitted in Entfuhrungen trl kidnappings by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Fernsehen on 23 September 2008 14 30h a b c d e US Judge Berlin Plane Hijack Trial Had Parallels to Guantanamo Deutsche Welle 30 August 2008 Retrieved 25 July 2009 a b Hijacked to Capitalism Unwitting East German Defectors Revisit Decision to Stay or Go Der Spiegel 20 May 2010 Retrieved 19 April 2014 UNITED STATES as the United States Element Allied Kommandatura Berlin v HANS DETLEF ALEXANDER TIEDE and INGRID RUSKE Defendants United States High Commissioner for Germany 14 March 1979 Archived from the original on 13 January 2011 Retrieved 25 July 2009 This is a criminal proceeding arising out of the alleged diversion of a Polish aircraft by the defendants from its scheduled landing in East Berlin to a forced landing in West Berlin United States authorities exercised jurisdiction over this matter and convened this Court Judgment in Berlin at IMDb nbsp Further reading editAntje Ravic Strubel 2004 Tupolew 134 in German 31 July 2004 ed Munich C H Beck pp 317 ISBN 3 406 52183 5 lt Stern Herbert Jay Judgment in Berlin New York Universe Books 1984 External links editJudgment in Berlin at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking amp oldid 1218756097, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
