Russian reporter found guilty for giving Japan secrets

Japan Policy & Politics, July 26, 1999

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, July 20 Kyodo

A former Russian military journalist was found guilty Tuesday of providing Japanese media with information on Russia's dumping of radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan but was freed after receiving a pardon. Defendant Grigory Pasko, 37, was sentenced to three years in prison by a military tribunal, but was freed under an amnesty law passed earlier by the Russian Duma. Prosecutors had demanded a prison term of 12 years for Pasko, who was originally accused of treason against the state for leaking military secrets. According to Pasko's lawyers, the former journalist had provided videotapes of Russia's 1993 dumping of radioactive waste into the Sea of Japan to Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) and had also provided information to reporters from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Documents carried by Pasko, then working as a reporter for the Pacific Fleet's bulletin, were confiscated as he was about to fly to Niigata from Vladivostok in November 1997. Pasko, who had been invited to Japan by environmental groups, was allowed to continue his trip to Japan, but was arrested upon his return. He was indicted in September last year.