DATE=2/12/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42597
TITLE=RUSSIA/TREASON
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=VLADIVOSTOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
///EDS: TRIAL RESUMES ON TUESDAY ///
INTRO: RUSSIAN NAVY CAPTAIN AND JOURNALIST GRIGORY PASKO IS
BEING TRIED FOR HIGH TREASON AND ESPIONAGE IN A CLOSED MILITARY
COURT IN RUSSIA'S FAR EAST. WHILE HE HAS NOT BEEN CONVICTED OF
ANY CRIME YET -- HE HAS SPENT THE PAST 14 MONTHS IN PRISON. THE
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP "AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL" HAS DESIGNATED HIM A
"PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE." AFTER THE RECENT DISMISSAL OF ONE OF
HIS LAWYERS, A FRUSTRATED CAPTAIN PASKO HAS BROKEN THE COURT'S
RULE OF SILENCE AND SECRETLY RECORDED A CALL FOR HELP. V-O-A'S
EVE CONANT IN VLADIVOSTOK HAS THE FIRST ACCOUNT OF GRIGORY
PASKO'S PERSONAL VIEW OF THE CLOSED TRIAL.
TEXT: ///PASKO IN RUSSIAN -- ESTABLISH IN FULL AND FADE
UNDER///
CAPTAIN PASKO SAYS AS THE ACCUSED, HE HAS NO FAITH THE TRIAL WILL
BE OBJECTIVE. "I AM STARTING TO GET THE IMPRESSION," HE SAYS, "AN
AGREEMENT TO CONVICT ME WAS DECIDED LONG AGO."
RUSSIA'S FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICES -- THE F-S-B -- BEGAN TO
SUSPECT THE 36-YEAR-OLD NAVY CAPTAIN OF TREASON AFTER JAPANESE
TELEVISION BROADCAST A REPORT ON THE DUMPING OF MILITARY NUCLEAR
WASTE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THEY SAY CAPTAIN PASKO RELEASED TOP
SECRET DOCUMENTS VITAL TO THE SECURITY OF RUSSIA'S PACIFIC OCEAN
FLEET. BUT THE F-S-B SAYS HE IS NOT BEING CHARGED FOR HIS
ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS.
THE F-S-B SAYS THE HEARINGS MUST BE HELD BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
BECAUSE OF THE TOP SECRET NATURE OF THE CASE. THERE IS NO JURY,
ONLY A SINGLE JUDGE AND TWO MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES. //OPT//
WHILE CAPTAIN PASKO HAS BEEN IN JAIL FOR THE PAST 14 MONTHS. HIS
TRIAL ONLY BEGAN LAST MONTH. //END OPT//
///ACT PASKO IN RUSSIAN -- IN FULL THEN FADE UNDER///
CAPTAIN PASKO ANGRILY CALLS HIS COURTROOM ORDEAL "A CIRCUS. A
THEATER OF THE ABSURD." HE SAYS THEY ARE SPITTING ON THE NOTION
OF A FAIR TRIAL.
SINCE HIS ARREST, CAPTAIN PASKO'S MAIN ACCESS TO THE MEDIA HAS
BEEN A WORD OR TWO SHOUTED OUT AS HE IS HUSTLED, HANDCUFFED, INTO
THE COURTROOM. HE WROTE AN OPEN LETTER FROM HIS JAIL CELL, WITH
THE HELP OF HIS WIFE. FOLLOWING THAT, MEETINGS WITH HER WERE
TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. HIS LAWYERS SAY HE WAS MOVED FROM AN
OVERCROWDED CELL TO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
AN F-S-B OFFICIAL HAS SAID IT IS NOT THE "JOURNALIST" PASKO WHO
IS BEING TRIED, IT IS "NAVAL OFFICER" PASKO. BUT CAPTAIN PASKO
SAYS INSIDE THE COURTROOM, IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
///SECOND PASKO ACT IN RUSSIAN -- IN FULL AND FADE UNDER///
"THEY ARE ACCUSING ME OF FULFILLING MY PROFESSIONAL ROLE AS A
JOURNALIST," HE SAYS, "OF WRITING ABOUT ECOLOGY, OF F-S-B
CORRUPTION, AND OF SELLING OFF THE RUSSIAN FLEET RIGHT AND LEFT."
CAPTAIN PASKO PAUSES. "MY TRIAL IS SO SECRET," HE SAYS, "NO ONE
WILL KNOW I EVER EXISTED."
THE NAVY OFFICER-TURNED-JOURNALIST RISKED RECORDING HIS OPINIONS
AFTER ONE OF HIS DEFENSE LAWYERS WAS EXPELLED FROM COURT FOR
ASKING A WITNESS IF THEY WERE EMPLOYED BY THE PROSECUTION.
CAPTAIN PASKO SAYS HE IS AFRAID HE WILL LOSE HIS OTHER LAWYERS
TOO.
///THIRD PASKO ACT IN RUSSIAN -- IN FULL AND FADE UNDER///
"THEY WANT NO ONE TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THEIR LAWLESSNESS," HE
COMPLAINS. "THIS IS A COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF MY RIGHT TO A
PROPER DEFENSE."
THE JAPANESE TELEVISION NETWORK THAT HIRED CAPTAIN PASKO KEPT ITS
DISTANCE FROM THE CASE -- UNTIL NOW. IN A RECENT LETTER, AN
N-H-K T-V CHIEF WRITES THAT N-H-K DENIES BUYING "SECRETS" FROM
CAPTAIN PASKO. IT SAYS THE T-V NETWORK HIRED HIM SIMPLY AS A
FREELANCE JOURNALIST.
MR. PASKO'S LAWYERS SAY THE N-H-K LETTER IS A LONG-AWAITED AND
CRITICAL ELEMENT FOR THE DEFENSE.
SUPPORT FOR CAPTAIN PASKO IS STRONG OUTSIDE RUSSIA, BUT NOT AT
HOME. OBSERVERS OF THE TRIAL, AS WELL AS CAPTAIN PASKO, BELIEVE
LOCAL JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN SCARED AWAY FROM COVERING THE TRIAL.
THE OUTSPOKEN CAPTAIN PASKO HAS A MESSAGE FOR THEM.
///FOURTH PASKO ACT -- IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER///
"AFTER ME," HE SAYS, "THEY WILL FIND ONE THOUSAND REASONS TO
EXTERMINATE EACH OF YOU WHO IS ABLE TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT
RUSSIA AND THE MILITARY."
//OPT// CAPTAIN PASKO IS APPEALING FOR HELP FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS
GROUP AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND PRESS FREEDOM ORGANIZATIONS. FOR
HIS RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES, HE HAS A WARNING.
///FIFTH PASKO ACT IN RUSSIAN -- IN FULL AND FADE UNDER///
"I'M THE FIRST," HE WARNS, "YOU WILL BE NEXT. THEY KNOW WHO YOU
ARE." HE SAYS, "IT IS TIME TO STOP THIS NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO
LATE." //END OPT//
IF CONVICTED OF TREASON, GRIGORY PASKO COULD FACE UP TO 20 YEARS
IN PRISON. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/PCF/JO
12-Feb-99 11:37 AM EST (1637 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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