RUSSIA: WIFE OF ALLEGED U.S SPY EDMOND POPE SAYS THAT HE WILL DIE OF CANCER IF HE DOES NOT GET PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT

Record ID: 647391

  • Title: RUSSIA: WIFE OF ALLEGED U.S SPY EDMOND POPE SAYS THAT HE WILL DIE OF CANCER IF HE DOES NOT GET PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT
  • Date: 25th October 2000
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 25, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV EXTERIOR OF MOSCOW CITY COURT ROOM WITH CHERYL POPE AND JOHN PETERSON ARRIVING 0.03 2. SCU TV 6 CAMERA OPERATOR 0.06 3. SMV CHERYL POPE AND LAWYERS /JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE COURTROOM DOOR (2 SHOTS) 0.19 4. VARIOUS, COURT DOORS OPEN/ EDMOND POPE IN THE BACKGROUND WAVING TO HIS WIFE AND U.S CONGRESSMAN JOHN PETERSON. (4 SHOTS) 0.34 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHERYL POPE, WIFE OF EDMOND POPE "I"m not optimistic about the outcome of the trial but I'm hoping that there will be a humanitarian release for my husband. He is 54 years old and he is not in good health. And he will die if we leave him here" 0.53 6. SMV RUSSIAN LAWYER PAVEL GIVING PRESS STATEMENT 0.59 7. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DEFENCE LAWYER PAVEL ASTAKHOV " Now we shall try to use other proof that we will get by interrogating Edmond Pope and new witnesses, who would be brought to the stand. We would put forward new documents to prove that what Edmond Pope has said is true. And what the prosecution says is not." 1.24 8. SMV ASTAKHOV TALKING WITH LAWYERS AND CHERYL POPE 1.30 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S CONGRESSMAN JOHN PETERSON " The decision passed by congress will only have a negative impact if this case is not soon resolved. It's a strong, clear message from both the House and the Senate, unanimous vote that the Edmond Pope case needs to be resolved positively. He needs to be brought home where he can have adequate medical care, be with his family. He should not have been in a Russian prison" 1.56 10. SMV LAWYERS , PETERSON AND POPE LEAVING 2.05 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA8K4DY1XALCFEGY4WMNRGTGX1H
  • Story Text: The wife of alleged United States (U.S.) spy Edmond
    Pope, who is being held in a jail in Russia, where he is on
    trial on spying charges, has said her husband will die of
    cancer if he does not receive proper medical treatment.


    The wife of U.S. spy suspect Edmond Pope made a plea
    for her husband on Wednesday (October 25), saying he would die
    from cancer if Russian authorities did not let him return home
    for treatment.

    Pope, a former U.S. navy intelligence officer, is being
    tried on allegations he illegally obtained secret information
    on a high-tech torpedo. He denies the allegations and says he
    was legally researching information that was openly available.

    His wife, Cheri, spoke to reporters outside the Moscow
    courtroom where her husband is being tried behind closed
    doors.

    "I'm not optimistic about the outcome of the trial, but
    I'm hoping there will be a humanitarian release of my
    husband," she said.

    Her husband, suffering from a rare form of bone cancer,
    faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. The court has
    not accepted defence arguments that he needs special checks.

    "He's 54 years old and not in good health and he will die
    if we leave him here," Cheri Pope said.

    Pope has been in prison since April.

    The presiding judge has said Pope can meet his wife on
    Wednesday afternoon at Lefortovo prison, where the businessman
    has been held since his arrest.

    Pope's lawyer, Pavel Astakhov, said he had 12 requests for
    the court, including calls for new witnesses and new documents
    to be admitted to the case.

    The most important of these is a decision by Moscow's
    Bauman Technical Institute to allow the release to Pope of
    certain documents relating to weapons technology, Astakhov
    said.

    On Tuesday Astakhov said the court would ask for evidence
    from Bauman professor Anatoly Babkin, the man who allegedly
    gave the secret arms information to Pope.

    The defence has always said the case against Pope is based
    on Babkin's evidence, but he could not be called to testify
    because he was not on an original list of witnesses.

    The trial has strained Russian-U.S. relations and
    President Bill Clinton has personally asked President Vladimir
    Putin to set Pope free.

    Washington has also been annoyed at Russia's refusal to
    give Pope the special cancer checks his supporters say he
    needs.

    John Peterson, a U.S congressman who has closely followed
    the trial came to Moscow on Tuesday to press for Pope's
    release.

    Earlier this month the U.S. House of Representatives urged
    Clinton to consider curbing financial aid to Russia.

    "The decision passed by Congress will only have a negative
    impact if the case is not soon resolved," Peterson said at the
    courthouse on Wednesday.

    "It is a strong, clear message that the Edmond Pope case
    needs to be resolved positively, that he needs to be brought
    home, where he can have adequate medical care and be with his
    family," he said.

    "He should never have been in a Russian prison."

    cr/pj

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