State Security Eitingon, along with three other high-ranking members of the government (all Russian Jewish), were accused of "a Zionist plot to seize power" (the Doctors' Plot). Eitingon's sister Sofia was also arrested. As a doctor, she was considered to be the "link" to the plotting doctors who were allegedly planning to poison high-ranking Soviet leaders. The officers were all imprisoned in cold, dark cells and tortured. The tortures led many of them to falsely confess but Eitingon was steadfast in his denial. Sofia was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After Stalin's death in March 1953, the head of Soviet intelligence and security services Lavrentiy Beria issued an order to close the cases against the "Zionist plotters" and all were released, including Sofia. Beria was arrested in June 1953 and executed. Eitingon, considered a supporter of Beria, was arrested again and held in jail without trial at the Butyrka prison in Moscow for four years. In November 1957 he was put on trial, in which he was accused (again) of conspiracy against the regime (but this time without any Zionist connotations). The court sentenced him to 12 years in prison, and his rank and all his medals were taken from him. After Nikita Khrushchev's ouster from power in 1964, Eitingon was released from prison. After his release, he worked as an interpreter and editor at the International Book Organization in Moscow. Nahum Eitingon died in 1981 of natural causes. He is buried in the Donskoye Cemetery. In 1992 the Russian Supreme Court annulled the conviction and cleared his name. Eitingon had persistently sought his official rehabilitation, but this was granted only posthumously. See also Pavel Sudoplatov Notes and citations References Books Katamidze, Vyacheslav 'Slava' (2003). Loyal Comrades, Ruthless Killers: The Secret Services of the USSR 1917–1991, Lewis International, Inc., , pp. 74–85, 91, 99, 103, 115, 126–29, 133, 136, 145–46, 155–56 Further reading Wilmers, Mary-Kay (2009). The Eitingons, London: Faber, 1899 births 1981 deaths People from Shklow Jews from the Russian Empire Belarusian Jews KGB officers Soviet Army officers Soviet Jews in the military Soviet people of the Spanish Civil War Prisoners and detainees of the Soviet Union Inmates of Vladimir Central Prison Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class Frunze Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Order of the Red Star