POPE’S DEFENCE DEMANDS CONFRONTATION

Today, the Moscow City Court continues to consider the case against US citizen Edmond Pope charged with spying. The defence demands to summon to court Professor Anatoli Babkin, former head of the Laboratory E-1 at the Moscow’s Bauman Politechnical University. It is he who passed Mr. Pope documents which Russia’s Federal Security Service regards as top secret. Mr. Pope’s lawyer maintains that, according the University’s expert commission, the documents in question do not contain secret information. However, the commission’s opinion has not been made public nor attached to the case files. Our correspondent also failed to learn the truth about the documents at the university. Prof. Babkin himself is currently under examination being accused of “state secret divulgence with no grave consequences entailed.” He is not allowed to leave his place of residence. Should he be pleaded guilty, he may get 4 years in prison. As for Mr. Pope, he may spend from 10 to 20 years behind bars for espionage.