DATE=2/8/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245250 TITLE=RUSSIA TREASON (L UPDATE) CQ BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=VLADIVOSTOK CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A MILITARY COURT IN RUSSIA HAS AGAIN DELAYED THE TRIAL OF A RUSSIAN NAVY CAPTAIN ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE AND REVEALING STATE SECRETS -- IN A CONTROVERSIAL CASE THAT IS BEING CLOSELY WATCHED BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS AROUND THE WORLD. A MILITARY JUDGE SAID HE WAS POSTPONING THE TRIAL FOR ONE WEEK SO THE NAVY OFFICER, GRIGORY PASKO, CAN GET NEW LAWYERS. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT EVE CONANT REPORTS FROM VLADIVOSTOK. TEXT: CAPTAIN PASKO'S LAWYERS WERE HOPING THE JUDGE WOULD RULE MONDAY ON TWO DEFENSE MOTIONS. ONE OF CAPTAIN PASKO'S LAWYERS HAS BEEN BANNED FROM THE COURTROOM, AND THEY WANT HIM TO RETURN. THEY ALSO ARE FORMALLY PROTESTING BECAUSE THEY SAY THE PRESIDING JUDGE, DMITRY SAVUSHKIN, IS BIASED AND THEY WANT HIM TO DISQUALIFY HIMSELF FROM THE CASE. INSTEAD, JUDGE SAVUSHKIN POSTPONED THE TRIAL UNTIL FEBRUARY 16TH. DEFENSE LAWYERS SAY THE JUDGE RULED THAT CAPTAIN PASKO CAN CHOOSE NEW LAWYERS, AND THAT UNTIL THE LAWYER ISSUE IS RESOLVED, THE JUDGE WILL NOT ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF HIS PERSONAL BIAS. THE 36-YEAR-OLD NAVY CAPTAIN AND MILITARY JOURNALIST IS CHARGED WITH HIGH TREASON AND ESPIONAGE FOR TELLING A JAPANESE TELEVISION NETWORK ABOUT THE DUMPING OF RUSSIAN MILITARY RADIOACTIVE WASTE AT SEA. IF CONVICTED, HE COULD BE SENTENCED TO UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. CAPTAIN PASKO -- SHACKLED WITH HANDCUFFS -- WAS LED BY FIVE POLICEMEN UP THE CRUMBLING AND POORLY-LIT STAIRS OF A VLADIVOSTOK MILITARY COURT. HE HAS BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO THE MEDIA, BUT DID SHOUT A SHORT COMMENT BEFORE THE POLICEMEN HUSTLED HIM INTO A ROOM. /// PASKO ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// CAPTAIN PASKO SHOUTED "IT'S A GULAG TRIAL. RECORD THAT AND TELL EVERYONE." CAPTAIN PASKO WAS REFERRING TO THE REPRESSIVE ERA OF SOVIET TRIALS WHICH SENT MILLIONS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS TO GULAGS -- WORK CAMPS FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS. DEFENSE LAWYERS SAY CAPTAIN PASKO HAS REQUESTED FOUR NEW LAWYERS. TWO OF THEM ARE HIGH PROFILE HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS PRESENTLY DEFENDING A FORMER NAVY CAPTAIN, ALEXANDER NIKITIN, WHO IS ALSO CHARGED WITH ESPIONAGE AND TREASON. MR. NIKITIN WAS ARRESTED MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO AND HAS YET TO RECEIVE A VERDICT ON HIS CASE. CAPTAIN PASKO'S LAWYER, OLEG KOTLEROV, SAYS HE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE TRIAL LASTS AS LONG AS MR. NIKITIN'S. /// KOTLEROV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// HE SAYS CAPTAIN PASKO SHOULD AT LEAST BE RELEASED FROM PRISON. HE SHOULD NOT SIT IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IF THERE IS NO PROOF HE COMMITTED A CRIME. THE NAVY CAPTAIN HAS ALREADY SPENT 14 MONTHS IN WHAT HIS ATTORNEY'S CALL A TUBERCULOSIS-INFESTED PRISON. MR. KOTLEROV ALSO SAYS THE FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICES -- A SUCCESSOR TO THE OLD K-G-B -- IS VIOLATING RUSSIAN LAW. /// KOTLEROV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// HE SAYS THEIR METHODS ARE THE SAME AS THOSE OF THE OLD K-G-B, BUT NOW THEY ARE ILLEGAL. HE SAYS AGENTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERROGATE A SLEEP-DEPRIVED PERSON FOR TEN HOURS AT A TIME. MONDAY'S RULING MEANS THAT CAPTAIN PASKO WILL SPEND AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK IN PRISON. THE PRISONER RIGHTS WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS DECLARED CAPTAIN PASKO A "PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE." SOON IT WILL BE 15 MONTHS SINCE HIS ARREST, AND DEFENSE LAWYERS SAY THEY FEAR A FINAL VERDICT COULD TAKE MONTHS, AT BEST. (SIGNED) NEB/EC/JWH 08-Feb-99 11:53 AM EST (1653 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .