air man ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Labor ▁and ▁Def ense ▁( ST O ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 9 – 1 9 3 0 , ▁amid st ▁the ▁industrial ization ▁drive ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁five - year ▁plan , ▁Me zh la uk ▁was ▁a ▁chief ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁Soviet ▁econom ics ▁newspaper ▁T org ovo - prom y sh ch len na ia ▁gaz eta ▁( Com merce ▁and ▁Indust ry ▁New sp aper ), ▁a ▁period ical ▁which ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁to ▁Za ▁industrial iz at si iu ▁(" For ▁Indust rial ization "). ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁many ▁works ▁on ▁the ▁social ist ▁economy ▁and ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁express ive ▁car ic atures ▁of ▁Soviet ▁officials , ▁including ▁Nikol ai ▁B uk har in ▁and ▁Leon ▁T rot sky , ▁that ▁he ▁made ▁during ▁official ▁meet ings ▁and ▁Party ▁con ferences . ▁ ▁Ar rest ▁and ▁death ▁Me zh la uk ▁was ▁arrested ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁tre ason , ▁industrial ▁sab ot age , ▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁German ▁government , ▁and ▁heading ▁a ▁Lat v ian ▁counter - re volution ary ▁terror ist ▁organization . ▁He ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁and ▁executed ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁He ▁was ▁post hum ously ▁re h abil itated ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 5 6 .