Biography
Kristina Berster was a West German student and prison-reform activist who sought political asylum in the United States. Arrested at Alburg, Vermont, on July 16, 1978, she was held on $500,000 bail amid disputed claims that she belonged to the Red Army Faction. A defense campaign challenged that characterization and supported her asylum application. Following convictions on border-entry and passport-related charges, she received a nine-month sentence on February 7, 1979. She remained in immigration detention while asylum and deportation proceedings continued. After West Germany withdrew its extradition request, she returned there on October 31, 1979, and was released subject to reporting requirements.
