DATE= 9/30/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220598 TITLE=RUSSIA / SPY (L-ONLY) BYLINE=MICHELE KELEMEN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A RUSSIAN MAN ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR BRITAIN HAS SUFFERED ANOTHER LEGAL SETBACK. V-O-A'S MICHELE KELEMEN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THE RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT RULED THE MAN IS MENTALLY ILL AND SHOULD UNDERGO MEDICAL TREATMENT BEFORE STANDING TRIAL. TEXT: THE LAWYER FOR PLATON OBUKHOV WAS HOPING THE SUPREME COURT WOULD THROW OUT THE CASE AND SEND THE FORMER JUNIOR DIPLOMAT TO A HOSPITAL. HE ARGUED MR. OBUKHOV IS UNFIT TO STAND TRIAL. BUT THE SUPREME COURT WENT ALONG WITH AN EARLIER MOSCOW CITY COURT RULING, SAYING MR. OBUKHOV IS ILL AND NEEDS TREATMENT, BUT HE SHOULD, EVENTUALLY, HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT. THE MOSCOW CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE CASE. ITS DIRECTOR, ALEXEI SMIRNOV, SAYS THE ACCUSED SPY IS IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION. /// SMIRNOV ACT - RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// IT IS A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, HE SAYS. PLUS THERE ARE SOME POLITICAL INTRIGUES. IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS, MR. SMIRNOV ADDS, THERE IS A SICK MAN. THE QUESTION IS -- WAS PLATON OBUKHOV SANE AT THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED CRIME? THE FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE SAYS HE WAS AND THEREFORE HE SHOULD STAND TRIAL. HIS FAMILY SAYS HE HAS BEEN ILL SINCE CHILDHOOD. IT IS ALSO NOT CLEAR HOW MUCH SECRET INFORMATION HE HAD ACCESS TO. HIS FATHER, A FORMER SOVIET DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, SAID PLATON OBUKHOV HAD NO ACCESS AT ALL. THE 28-YEAR-OLD WORKED AS A SECOND SECRETARY IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S NORTH AMERICAN DEPARTMENT BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED LAST YEAR. HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ALEXEI SMIRNOV CHARGES THE F-S-B IS ACTING MUCH LIKE ITS PREDECESSOR, THE K-G-B -- PUSHING AHEAD WITH WHAT HE CALLS A SHOW TRIAL. HE SAYS IT MAY NEVER BE KNOWN WHETHER PLATON OBUKHOV PASSED SECRETS TO BRITAIN. HE SAYS THE ONLY THING THE CASE MAY DETERMINE IS WHETHER MR. OBUKHOV HAS EVER BEEN SANE (SIGNED) NEB/MLK/JWH/RRM 30-Sep-97 10:51 AM EDT (1451 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .