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 .