Russia's Defence Ministry Displeased With Court Decision
Russian militaries take their time after the Russian Supreme Court ruled against Ministry's order on state secrets. The court declared on Tuesday the order No. 055 "On State secrets" of August 10, 1996 illegal and void. But the Ministry HQ refused to comment on the matter saying it had received no court resolution in written form so far.
The suit against the Ministry was brought by two lawyers Yury Matinov and Mikhail Shmidt and expert for the Norwegian Bellona environmental company Alexander Nikitin.
The document contains a list of Russian armed forces' data categories that must be classified. The lawyers insist that the list being wider differs from that of the federal act "On State secrets". Russian military experts involved in spy-cases across the country follow the Defence Ministry order instead of the federal law. Many spy and treason charges against Russian military specialists might be declined under the federal act.
A number of people accused of spying for foreign countries causes anxiety in Russia. The FSB has launched several high-profile spy-cases so far. Staff member of the USA and Canada Institute in Moscow Igor Sutyagin was accused of spying for the United States and UK. There are Obukhov, Danilov, Pasko's cases etc. The Defence Ministry's order No. 055. has been applied to all of them. Courts considering the spy cases have stopped legal proceedings after the Supreme Court's announcement.
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