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NEW YORK — In a surprise decision, federal prosecutors say they would not object to the release of secret grand jury testimony from 35 of the 45 witnesses in the spy trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
In papers filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday, the prosecutors said they would consent to publish the testimony of deceased witnesses or those who have agreed to have their testimony published. Ten witnesses are either still alive or have not given their consent.
A hearing is scheduled for July 22. The government’s decision must be approved by a judge.
The sealed testimony was taken in 1950-51. The Rosenbergs were convicted of passing nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviet Union and were executed in 1953.
