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DATE=7/20/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-251961 TITLE=RUSSIA/TREASON TRIAL (L-ONLY) BYLINE=EVE CONANT DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A RUSSIAN NAVY CAPTAIN AND JOURNALIST WHO WAS BEING TRIED IN RUSSIA'S FAR EAST FOR HIGH TREASON WAS CONVICTED OF IMPROPER MILITARY CONDUCT, BUT THEN RELEASED UNDER A NEW AMNESTY BILL. CAPTAIN GRIGORY PASKO WAS ARRESTED AFTER PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT RUSSIA'S PACIFIC FLEET TO A JAPANESE TELEVISION NETWORK. CORRESPONDENT EVE CONANT IN MOSCOW SPOKE BY TELEPHONE WITH GRIGORY PASKO IN VLADIVOSTOK AN HOUR AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM JAIL. TEXT: AT HOME WITH HIS WIFE AND LAWYERS, A RELIEVED CAPTAIN PASKO EXPLAINED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW HOW THE COURT'S RULING CAME AS A SURPRISE. ///ACT PASKO IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER/// HE SAYS "I DID NOT EXPECT THIS RESULT BECAUSE I KNOW ALL TO WELL WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS IN RUSSIA." CAPTAIN PASKO HAD ALREADY SPENT 20 MONTHS IN JAIL AND SIX MONTHS IN THE CLOSED TRIAL PROCEEDINGS OF RUSSIA'S PACIFIC FLEET MILITARY COURT. HE WAS DETAINED UNDER ALLEGATIONS THAT HE PROVIDED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO A JAPANESE TELEVISION NETWORK. ///OPT/// BUT CAPTAIN PASKO CONSISTENTLY ARGUED THAT HE WAS BEING PUNISHED FOR HIS STARTLING REPORTS ON THE NUCLEAR DUMPING PRACTICES OF THE PACIFIC FLEET. THE NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LABELED PASKO A "PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE" AND FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES ALSO ADOPTED HIS CAUSE. ///END OPT/// BUT ON TUESDAY, THE MILITARY COURT RULED CAPTAIN PASKO NOT GUILTY OF TREASON OR ESPIONAGE AND EVEN RULED THAT SOME OF THE EVIDENCE BROUGHT AGAINST HIM BY RUSSIA'S SECURITY SERVICES WAS, IN FACT, FALSIFIED. THE COURT DID RULE THAT HE VIOLATED STATE INTERESTS AND ABUSED HIS MILITARY POST FOR PERSONAL GAIN. HE WAS SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON. BUT A NEW AMNESTY BILL, SIGNED INTO LAW BY RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN LAST MONTH, ALLOWED FOR CAPTAIN PASKO TO BE SET FREE IMMEDIATELY. THAT'S BECAUSE HE COUNTS AS A FIRST TIME OFFENDER AND HAS ALREADY SERVED ONE-THIRD OF HIS SENTENCE IN JAIL, PRIOR TO HIS CONVICTION. CAPTAIN PASKO, WHO BROKE COURT RULES BY SHOUTING OUT COMMENTS TO JOURNALISTS AND SECRETLY RELEASING A JAILHOUSE DIARY ON THE INTERNET, SAYS HIS FREEDOM DOES NOT SYMBOLIZE MUCH PROGRESS IN THE COURT SYSTEM. ///SECOND ACT PASKO IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER/// "THIS IS A TEMPORARY VICTORY," HE EXPLAINS. "THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT TOMORROW THEY WON'T START ATTACKING ANOTHER JOURNALIST." ///END OPT/// HE SAYS RUSSIA'S SECURITY SERVICES HAVE SIMPLY PROVEN ONCE AGAIN THAT THEY CAN CONVICT WITHOUT EVIDENCE. ///THIRD ACT PASKO IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER/// HE SAYS, "IF THEY HAD ACQUITTED ME, THAT WOULD HAVE SET A GOOD PRECEDENT. THAT," HE SAYS "WOULD HAVE BEEN A VICTORY." CAPTAIN PASKO SAYS HE IS NOT SURE WHAT HIS PLANS ARE NOW --WHETHER HE WILL APPEAL FOR A NON-GUILTY RULING, AND WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT FOR THE FLEET'S MILITARY NEWSPAPER. BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN, HE SAYS. ///FOURTH ACT PASKO IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE UNDER/// "I WILL STAY IN THE SERVICE, I'M A MILITARY MAN. THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN AWAY MY RANK OR. MY AWARDS," HE SAYS. "FIRST, I WILL GO BACK TO BEING WHO I WAS AND FROM THERE I WILL SEE." CAPTAIN PASKO AND HIS LAWYERS HAVE SEVEN DAYS TO APPEAL THE GUILTY VERDICT IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. (SIGNED) NEB/EC/PCF 20-Jul-99 11:22 AM EDT (1522 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .