10 Shocking and Outrageous Trials in History

4. Alfred Dreyfus:

Alfred Dreyfus, an obscure captain in the French army, with a Jewish background was convicted in 1894 on charges of treachery before a military court, and later sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite his denial of guilt and his family’s consistent support, his plea of innocence was rejected by the public and the French press as a whole. After some time, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart found evidence that Major Ferdinand Walsin-Esterhazy was engaged in espionage and that it was Esterhazy’s handwriting found on the letter that had laid the blame on Dreyfus. The trial became one of the tensest political dramas in modern French and European history and came to be known as the Dreyfus Affair. The incident finally ended with Dreyfus' complete exoneration.

Also Read:

Indians who Left Their High Profile Jobs to Join Politics
10 Nations Where Corruption Speaks Louder Than Ethics and Netas and Their Betas: Legendary Duos in Indian Politics