U.S. reporters reject trial

Press, 5 July 1978, Page 10

U.S. reporters reject trial

NZPA Moscow Two American reporters charged with libel in a Soviet court told the judge that they would not take part in any trial. Craig Whitney, aged 34, of the "New York Times,” and Harold Piper, aged 39, of the “Baltimore Sun,” spent about 30 minutes in the chambers of the Moscow City Court Chief Judge Lev Almazov yesterday and told him that the libel case brought against them by Soviet television officials should be dismissed. Whitney and Piper told the judge that if the case was not dismissed and a trial was held they would not take part in that trial. Judge Almazov said he would not rule on their motion to dismiss the libel case at this time, and ordered the July 7 trial postponed to July 18. The judge told the two American reporters that if they refused to turn up for trial on the lawsuit the

matter would be postponed. He said, however, that if the officials of the Soviet State Committee for Radio and Television, who brought the civil suit, pressed the case, the trial could be held without the two Americans being present. Whitney and Piper told the court that the civil lawsuit should be dismissed because neither the “New York Times” nor the “Baltimore Sun” circulate inside the Soviet Union. Judge Almazov responded that both newspapers "are read here,” but he would not immediately rule on the motion to dismiss. The suit for slander — a charge equivalent to libel under Western law — was brought last week by Soviet television officials after the two reporters wrote articles quoting Soviet dissidents as saying the television officials had fabricated a filmed confession by a Georgian human rights activist, Zviad Gamsakhourdia.