Mikhail Trepashkin placed to isolation ward again

Mikhail Trepashkin, former FSB officer, serving his term at Nizhni Tagil colony, has again been placed to the isolation ward. He is to remain there for six coming days, reports "Echo Moskvy." As lawyer Elena Liptzer states, the isolation ward is in the new building which is not heated. Meanwhile, her defendant's bronchial asthma has aggravated.

For reference, two weeks ago Trepashkin already spend three days in the isolation ward. He was placed there for requesting proper treatment from the doctor, and raised his voice thereat. He was requested an explanation and then placed to an insulation ward, reported Elena Liptzer, Trepashkin's lawyer, at the time. "The insulation ward is in a new building which is not heated. The bed, as is the procedure here, is only lowered at night, and the rest of the time Trepashkin has to sit on the battery in order not to freeze completely. When he was placed to the insulation ward, he was given all the clothes he had, but it does not help any," stated the lawyer, reminds Newsru.

Trepashkin was already placed to isolation ward in September 2005.

On May 19, 2004, Mikhail Trepashkin was sentenced by Moscow military tribunal for disclosing a state secret to 4 years of imprisonment at a penal colony. After one-third of the term, he filed a petition for grant of parole to the Nizhni Tagil court at the place where he was serving his term. The court granted the petition and released Trepashkin before term.

However, the prosecutor's offices of Nizhni Tagil and Sverdlovsk oblast disagreed with the ruling and appealed against it in the Sverdlovsk oblast court. Trepashkin was arrested by officers of Ziuzinskoye militia unit in Moscow again and escorted to Ekaterinburg.

On September 16, 2005, Sverdlovsk oblast court overruled the ruling on grant of parole to Mikhail Trepashkin. The case on Trepashkin's release before term was returned for a new consideration in Tagilstroy district court of Nizhni Tagil. On November 24, the court refused to grant the petition on the grant of parole in connection with a disciplinary punishment imposed on Trepashkin when serving the term at the penal colony and due to the fact that he had not repented.

In December 2005, two Trepashkin's lawyers simultaneously filed cassation applications against the court ruling on the refusal on the grant of parole. The Sverdlovsk oblast court is to consider them on February 8.

According to the prosecution, Trepashkin, while serving in the USSR KGB and RF FSB from 1984 to 1997, copied office files which he subsequently stored at home. In the course of a search at Trepashkin's house, investigation materials of the USSR KGB, RF Ministry of Security, FSK and FSB were confiscated both in hard copies and on diskettes and on computer. The expert study recognized about 30 documents as secret, in particular, reports on investigative actions on cases of 1997 investigated by Trepashkin.

The investigation considers as disclosure of information, which represents state secret, the transfer by Trepashkin to FSB Colonel Viktor Shebalin, his former colleague, of summary reports, tapping of telephone conversations of Golyanovskaya OPG (Organized Criminal Grouping) members (they, in the opinion of the investigation, contained information on the FSB working methods). In addition, about ten cartridges were found in the course of the search at Trepashkin's house.

Trepashkin himself claims that that the gun was planted on him and the criminal cases against him framed. While in the penal colony following his second arrest, Trepashkin repeatedly claimed that he had fear for his life.

Earlier, Mikhail Trepashkin stated to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "I am deeply convinced that this is primarily a revenge for confronting Patrushev, the current FSB head. I think that he is a person who is not capable of ensuring safety of our citizens. It is a man who, by his moral qualities...If someone asks him to do something terrible he can do it."

For reference, after resigning from the security agency Trepashkin became a practicing lawyer and worked at the Public Commission on investigating 1999 terrorist acts in dwelling houses in Moscow. This work served as basis for the book by Yuri Felshtinskiy and Alexander Litvinenko "FSB Explodes Russia."