Russians seize writer

Press, 13 June 1977, Page 9

Russians seize writer

NZPA-Reuter Moscow; The Soviet police detained; an American correspondent,! Robert C. Toth, of the “Losi iAngeles Times,” for three! [hours on Saturday and al-i i leged that a Russian scien- ■ tist had passed State secrets! i to him. I After questioning by the: ’police and an official of thej [Committee of State Security.! [the K.G.8.. Mr Toth said! [that he had been allowed to [return home, but the in-! ivestigators had declined to, [tell him what would happen! [next. | The correspondent, who [has been in Moscow fori [three years and is to leave! inext week-end, said that he [had been seized by five, [men just after 9 a.m. on’ 'Saturday morning when he [had met the para-psy-i jchology specialist, Dr Valery

iG. Petyukov on a Moscow ’Street.' i There was no immediate! i comment from the United: 'States Embassy on the in-: ■cident, which came amid ai i growing Soviet campaign to | allege that the expressions iof United States concern for 1 human rights in communist I countries is a cover for spying and subversion. ; Mr Toth said that he had ! been to a shop to buy cream [when Dr Petyukov, to whom ihe had been introduced six .months ago at a farewell [party for an emigrating Jew-! [ish scientist, had telephoned and said that he wanted to [see him immediately. “He gave me an article he had told me before he was ; writing which proved that para-psychology was. genuine,” the correspondent added. “As I put it in my pocket, two men jumped out

■of a car and grabbed me,[three more followed them. ; :[ “They pushed me into the’ [[back of the car and held my ■: hands at my sides. I kept iitelling them not to break the: i cream bottle I had in my! ; pockets.” ■ Mr Toth, aged 48, married : with three children, said Dr; • Petyukov, who is a labor-; atory chief at the Moscow; 1 Institute of Medical Biologi-[ 1 cal Preparations, had been[ i seized by men from another I t car, and they had both been! 1 driven to a nearby police ■ station. i The correspondent, who > has written widely on Soviet ’science, said that officers :! there had summoned a man s|they identified as a senior -[researcher from the Acajidemy of Sciences, who ,i leafed through the article, ['written in English. [