On 30 March 1955, the Supreme Court of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) sentenced Paul Merker to eight years of penal servitude (Zuchthaus) in a secret political trial. The judgment begins with a lengthy ideological discussion of the global struggle between socialism and capitalism rather than a detailed presentation of criminal acts. The court portrayed Merker as a long-standing political deviant who had allegedly weakened the communist movement and objectively served the interests of capitalist and imperialist forces. One of the most significant charges concerned Merker's advocacy for compensation and restitution for Jewish victims of Nazi persecut.ion. The court argued that these positions aligned him with Zionist, capitalist, and Western interests and therefore conflicted with socialist principles. The ruling reflects an anti-Semitic undertone on the part of the SED leadership.

Art. 6 der DDR-Verfassung sowie Bestimmungen des Kontrollratsgesetzes Nr. 10 und der Kontrollratsdirektive Nr. 38.