On June 19, 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in New York City. The Rosenbergs were sentenced to death under Section 2 of the Espionage Act of 1917, 50 U.S Code 32 ( now 18 U.S Code 794 ), prohibiting attempting to transmit or transmitting of information to foreign government.

The Rosenbergs were U.S. citizens, spying for the Soviet Union. Convicted for conspiracy to commit espionage. As well as passing information to the Soviets about an atomic bomb. Julius and Ethel took a risk, costing them their lives.

Committing treason is a crime. Someone who gives out information, betraying their country is a traitor.  To be a spy, you would need to give up a lot of things. Living a normal life would be hard, considering what you would have to sacrifice to keep your cover. It’s not easy.

“Under the Code of Military Justice, a military member accused of treason is given a hearing called a court martial,” says Timothy Smedley, former Military officer.  A person in the military is punished different than a normal civilian. He adds, “If the person is found guilty of treason they are either given jail time, usually life or the death penalty.”

“It works differently in military court than in a civilian court.” said Smedley. But a civilian should be punished just the same. Smedley states, “ Traders to one’s country should be subject to the laws, but it depends on the severity of the crime.”  He adds, “ The death penalty should be given to those people who commit heinous crimes.”

Those who spy usually have issues with the government. “They may believe that the government has harmed or wronged them in some way,” stated Smedley. Some are pressured by other countries who are using them to gather intel. “There is also the possibility that they feel threatened by another government, and may feel as if they do not have a choice,” claims Smedley.

Being a spy is not something most people choose to do. Those who are involved in espionage are most likely always discovered.  But even now, spies are not as common. As relationships with foreign countries have improved, these sorts of things have been avoided.

Jana Ghoul

Unis Middle School Journalist