The concert hall of Minsk's Red Army House was packed, as for the premiere of a Shostakovich symphony. From the balcony seven baby spotlights painted the orchestra pit an eerie yellow. There was a nervous clearing of throats. But no baton was raised. Tonight the program was a trial of German war criminals, and the conductor was the public prosecutor.
In the spotlights' glare, the 18 uniformed prisoners (including three generals) looked jaundiced and afraid. They had reason to be. The prosecution charged them with responsibility for destroying 209 Byelorussian towns, 10,000 collective...
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