According to information from the NKVDs of union and autonomous republics and from the heads of the provincial NKVD departments, some workers of the procuracy incorrectly interpret the 17 November 1938 SNK USSR and CC VKP(b) resolution “On arrests, procuratorial supervision, and investigative procedure.”

According to the people's commissar of internal affairs of the Dagestan ASSR, Com. Panteleev, the procurator of the republic, Filatov, and the deputy procurator of the republic, Musaev, have adopted an erroneous and harmful stance in liquidating the distortions of legality in the conduct of the investigation.

These procurators visited prison cells and photographed suspect bodily areas of the prisoners, looking for signs of beatings. Deputy Procurator Musaev was particularly active in visiting prison cells and prison hospitals. He personally gave prisoners paper to write statements revoking their confessions. As a result, all prisoners, whether minor offenders, spies, terrorists, or saboteurs, insolently declare: “We are innocent people, arrested by enemies, and we confessed under duress.”

In addition to that, plots and organized hunger strikes take place in the prisons.

Besides individual workers of the procuracy, certain court officials have adopted an incorrect line on the aforementioned question. Thus, according to the deputy people's commissar of internal affairs of the Ukrainian SSR, Com. Gorlinsky, the president of the Southwestern railway court, Gapon, does not objectively review cases of counterrevolutionary crimes. […]

During the hearings of several cases by the railway court, the president of the court, Gapon, conducted the questioning of witnesses in a biased manner and confused them during their testimony while limiting the interrogation of the accused to a mere formality. […]

The deputy procurator of the railway, Zadoin, who was state prosecutor for these cases in the court, took no measures to unmask provocation by the accused and did not familiarize himself at all with the materials of the cases with which he worked in the court.

According to the head of the Saratov province UNKVD, Com. Kiselev, the chairman of the military tribunal of NKVD internal troops, Korotkin, follows a clearly provocative line in his work of investigating NKVD organs. In reviewing cases at the sessions of the tribunal, Korotkin consistently downplays some crimes and compromises the investigation. He often remands cases on the basis of only the slanderous statements of the accused and sometimes acquits and frees prisoners on the same basis. […]

I am asking [you] to give appropriate instructions to the local organs. Please inform the NKVD USSR about the action taken.