Experts say it is necessary to improve legislation to consider high treason cases by jury

The necessity to improve the legislation to protect state secrets was in the focus of the expert council, which took place in Moscow on Saturday.

Representatives of the legislative and judicial systems and the Bar discussed the subject in connection with putting into practice the consideration of criminal cases related to state secrets with the participation of jury.

Sergei Sedov, a judge of the Moscow regional military court, believes that "the jury in this case are becoming passive carriers of secret information and will be of interest for foreign special services." In the judge's opinion, control over possible divulgence by the jury of secret information will inevitably result in additional allocation of funds and means. That is why the judge considers it more appropriate to consider such cases by three professional judges.

On his part, Aleksei Aleksandrov, deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on security shares the view that the institute of jury is "a more democratic body" and it is necessary to preserve it for consideration of cases related to state secrets.

Presently since October 3 the board of jury in the Krasnoyarsk territorial court has been considering the criminal case of Valentin Danilov, the director of the Kransnoyarsk thermophysical center accused of high treason.

On Monday, November 3, the Moscow municipal court has to initiate proceedings with participation of jury to consider the criminal case of Igor Sutyagin, an employee of the Institute of USA and Canada who is also indicted on high treason charges.