On October 30, 1992 the head of the Department for Supervising the Implementation of Laws on Federal Security and International Relations at the RF Attorney General’s Office sent a corresponding letter to the head of the Investigation Department at the Ministry of Security of Russia, in which, in particular, it is suggested to take measures stipulated by Article 139 of the RSFSR Criminal and Procedural Code to prevent the disclosure of secret and top secret information. Investigation officers were given similar oral explanations. However, the position of the investigation remains unchanged until now, which caused well-grounded appeals of the lawyer (underlined by Safonov—V.M.) and his client to different authorities, resulting in the delay of the investigation. Please consider this question without delay, settle it according to the appropriate legal requirements, and report the results to the Attorney General’s Office of the Russian Federation.
Handwritten Notation: for Comrade A.A. Shabunin
Handwritten Notation: for Comrade V. A. Shkarin
Please consider the question in keeping with the Criminal and Procedural Code. Signature of Balashov is correct. November 13, 1992.
Please ensure that the implementation of the instructions of the RF Attorney General’s Office, in keeping with the Criminal and Procedural Code.
Annex 16
Secret
MINISTRY OF SECURITY
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Investigation Department
October 17, 1992 N 6/2801
To: First Deputy Attorney General
of the Russian Federation
State Counselor of Justice
of the 2nd class I.S. Zemlyanushin,
We are giving notice that, according to your instructions, on November 16, 1992 the lawyer from the Legal Advice Office, Alexander Yakovlevich Asnis, was allowed to act as the defender of the accused Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov in the criminal case without presenting a permit to work with top secret documents [italicized by me—V.M.].
Head of the department,
Major General
S.D. Balashov
Correct. Senior Investigator of the Investigation
Department of the RF Ministry of Security, Captain of Justice
V. A. Shkarin
Annex 17
Secret
Copy N 2
MINISTRY OF SECURITY
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Investigation Department
To Major General V.N. Markomenko
Head of the Third Chief Department
at the Federal Agency for Government
Communications & Information (FAPSI)
under the President of Russia
November 5, 1992 N 6/02778
The Investigation Department at the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation is investigating the criminal case filed against an employee of the State Russian Science Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GRNIIOKhT), Doctor of Chemical Science, Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov, who disclosed information to the mass media that constitutes a state secret about research work that was carried out in Russia in the field of chemical weapons.
In connection with that, we are asking for your instructions to check and report if FAPSI has any information about transmissions of foreign radio stations regarding Mirzayanov and the information he disclosed. If the answer is affirmative, we ask you to send us all materials that are available on this issue.
Head of the Department
Major General
S.D. Balashov
Annex 18
Secret
Copy 1
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The Ministry of Security
of the Russian Federation
Investigation Department
To Colonel A.A. Shabunin
Head of the Department
November 6, 1992 N 13/2-1040-92
Moscow
I am sending you a Xerox copy of the article “We Waged Chemical War on Our Own Territory” published in “Nezavisimaya Gazetta” on October 30, 1992, to check and evaluate it in the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Vil S. Mirzayanov.
Enclosure: on one page.
Senior Prosecutor of the Department for Supervising
The Implementation of Laws on Federal Security
and International Relations,
Junior Counselor of Justice
V.A. Buivolov
Annex 19
Secret
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Ministry of Security
Of the Russian Federation
Investigation Department
To Captain of Justice V.A. Shkarin
Senior Investigator
103793 GSP, Moscow, K-9
Pushkinskaya, 15-a
According to the instructions of the leadership of the RF Attorney General’s Office, we are sending xeroxed copies of the article “Poison” published on January 29, 1993 in the newspaper “Trud” with an interview of V. S. Mirzayanov to be added to the materials of the criminal case against V. S. Mirzayanov and to carry out its further legal evaluation.
Senior Prosecutor of the Department for Supervising
Implementation of the Laws on Federal Security
and International Relations,
Junior Counselor of Justice
V.A. Buivolov
Annex 20
Secret
THE RF MINISTRY OF SECURITY
Investigation Department
To V.A. Petrunin
Director of the State Russian Science
Research Institute for Organic
Chemistry and Technology
November 12, 1992 N 6/2835
The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation is investigating the following criminal case, in which Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov, a former employee of GRNIIOKhT, is charged with a crime under Article 75, Part 1, of the RSFSR Criminal Code, of disclosing the information that our country conducts scientific research work in the area of chemical weapons, in his article “Poisoned Policies” (Issue N 38 of the weekly “Moscow News” of September 20, 1992).
In connection with this, please check and inform us whether the information revealed by Mirzayanov in his article, about GRNIIOKhT being involved in the above-mentioned research, is authentic.
If the answer is affirmative, according to what normative acts was it carried out and from what sources did Mirzayanov learn this information (reading documents, taking part in meetings, etc.)?
We also ask you to send us V. S. Mirzayanov’s personal file and character references.