Leon Trotsky: On the Murder of Rudolf Klement

December 1, 1938

[Writings of Leon Trotsky, Vol 11, 1938-1938, New York ²1974, p. 137]

I have received a letter from Rudolf Klement's aunt, who lives in one of the countries of Latin America, asking whether I know anything about her missing nephew. She states that Rudolfs mother, who lives in Germany, is in a state of utter despair, torn by the lack of any word about his fate. In the heart of the unhappy mother the hope arose that Rudolf might have succeeded in escaping danger and that he was hiding perhaps at my home. Alas, nothing remains to me but to destroy her last hopes.

The letter of Rudolfs aunt is a further proof of the GPU's crime. If Rudolf had in fact voluntarily abandoned Paris, as the GPU with the help of its agents of various kinds would like us to believe, he would not of course have left his mother in ignorance and the latter would not have had any reason to appeal to me through her sister in Latin America. Rudolf Klement was murdered by the agents of Stalin.