Vladislav Vladimirovich BEBKO (b. 1952) was arrested on 7 November 1978 (CCE 51.8).
On 8 November a criminal case was instituted against him under Article 190-1 and, on 9 November, under Article 206, pt. 2 (‘malicious hooliganism’) of the RSFSR Criminal Code. On 20 November the charges were combined (there are a few inaccuracies in CCE 51.8).
In February I. L. Kosharsky, a Deputy Procurator for Kuibyshev Region, sanctioned the indictment, according to which Bebko,
‘being one of the organizers of gatherings of nihilistic young people, is charged with the systematic utterance of politically harmful statements about Soviet reality among his group over the period 1973-1978. In May 1976 he was warned by the Kuibyshev Regional KGB that such actions were not tolerable, and on 28 February 1978 he was officially cautioned in accordance with the 25 December 1972 Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme, ‘On the issue of cautions by security organs as a measure of preventive action’ [CCE 32.14].
‘However, Bebko did not draw the necessary conclusions and systematically during the period 1976-1978 prepared tapes and transcripts of foreign radio broadcasts containing deliberate fabrications defaming the Soviet political and social system, and then disseminated them in oral form and by means of giving tape-recordings to other persons.
‘During 1978 Bebko systematically uttered sharp and slanderous fabrications against the Soviet political and social system; he declared that in the USSR democratic freedoms — the freedoms of speech, the press and association — are absent; he attempted to convince his audiences of the advantages of capitalism; he denied the reliability of the mass media in the USSR; he distorted the significance of the Great October Socialist Revolution; he spoke insultingly about the founder and first leader of the Soviet State; and he expressed solidarity with persons who had emigrated and were publishing literature slandering our state abroad.
‘The above-mentioned slanderous fabrications defaming the Soviet political and social system were spoken by Bebko in 1978 in Kuibyshev to G. V. Konstantinov, in August 1978 to I.V. Ippolitova, and in September 1978 to students of the Kuibyshev Polytechnical Institute, while picking potatoes at the Communard State Farm, Krasnoyarsk district, Kuibyshev Region: on 10-15 September to A. V. Shishov, and on 16-21 September to Yu.Yu. Sinitsyn, E.V. Zhideleva, V.V. Istomin, V.N. Sidnev, A.E. Krechetov, L.A. Dunenkova and others.
‘From 1976 to 1978 Bebko prepared a text on several sheets of paper and recorded on nine tapes foreign radio broadcasts containing slanderous fabrications defaming the Soviet political and social system. With the intent of disseminating slanderous fabrications defaming the Soviet political and social system he gave M. R. Ryabova three tapes. By these actions Bebko committed a crime as stipulated by Article 190-1 of the Criminal Code.
‘Continuing to defame the Soviet political and social system, on 7 November 1978, at 6 pm, Bebko, being in a drunken state and in the presence of M. R. Ryabova and G. V. Konstantinov on New Street in Kuibyshev, promoted by hooliganism and with the words ‘The communists have covered the place in placards’, tore down, tore up and destroyed two placards devoted to the 61st anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution which had been hanging on the wall of house no. 55, where a medical epidemiological department is situated.’
During the pre-trial investigation Bebko was subjected to a psychiatric examination, at which he was ruled responsible. Kuibyshev lawyer G. N. Popova, who studied the case materials at the end of the pretrial investigation, categorically refused to defend Bebko in court.
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TRIAL
On 12 March the Kuibyshev Regional Court, presided over by Chairman of the Regional Court Presidium V. P. Lavrichenko, began to examine the Bebko case. The prosecutor was Assistant Regional Procurator Mezonin, defence counsel was the lawyer N. Ya. Nimirinskaya from Voroshilovgrad (see her ‘service record’ in ‘The Trial of Zisels’ this issue, CCE 53.5).
The trial was genuinely open. Four or five KGB officials were always present in the courtroom. Two men in plain clothes and a policeman with u walkie-talkie were on duty in the entrance hall.
Bebko pleaded partly guilty under Article 206; not denying the facts (see above), he said that he was unable to control his actions as he was under the influence of alcohol; he pleaded not guilty under Article 190-1.
From the examination of Bebko:
Judge: Do you admit that you called Vladimir Ilych Lenin an ‘adventurer’?
Bebko: Yes. But I would like to explain that I see nothing bad in that. In my understanding an adventurer is a person who is capable of taking risks. Any revolutionary is an adventurer.
Judge: Did you assert that there are democratic freedoms in the West, and that life in general is better there?
Bebko: Yes, I consider that to be the case.
Judge: Do you understand that you have committed a crime? Do you regret what you have done?
Bebko: Yes, I understand that one should not do such things. I won’t speak such thoughts aloud again.
On 13 March the court passed a resolution to send Bebko for an in-patient forensic psychiatric examination. (Lawyer Nimirinskaya also petitioned for this.)
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On 28 March a comrade of Vladislav Bebko, Anatoly Sarbayev (CCE 51.8), was forcibly hospitalized; and on 29 March the same happened to Viktor Ryzhov (CCE 51.8). Sarbayev was detained in a psychiatric hospital until April 6, Ryzhov until April 30, Sarbayev was treated with glucose and vitamins, Ryzhov with neuroleptics (tizertsin and stelazine) and tranquillizers (tazepam).
The psychiatrists again ruled Bebko responsible.
From 12 to 14 June the Kuibyshev Regional Court, presided over by Shestopalov, examined the case against Bebko for a second time.
From the examination of Bebko:
Lawyer: Do you understand that your behaviour is considered wrong?
Bebko: I understand.
Lawyer: Do you agree with this?
Bebko: I have never agreed with it.
Lawyer: How do you explain your critical attitude to reality?
Bebko: Reality had many shortcomings and instances of lawlessness.
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In her speech defence counsel Nimirinskaya pointed out that ‘distorting the significance of the Great October Socialist Revolution’, ‘making insulting utterances about Lenin’ and ‘expressing solidarity with persons who had emigrated and were publishing slanderous literature abroad’ had nothing to do with ‘the Soviet political and social system’. Later she pointed out the insubstantiality of the charges. In the case of concrete utterances relating to the system, ‘deliberate falsification’ had not been proven: Bebko’s testimony at the pre-trial investigation and in court showed that he was even now convinced of the truth of his judgments. Nimirinskaya asked the court to acquit Bebko under Article 190-1, and suggested that the ‘torn placards’ charge be redefined under Article 206, part 1.
In his final speech Bebko asked for a punishment that would not deprive him of his freedom. However, the court adopted the Procurator’s suggestion and, pronouncing Bebko guilty on both charges, sentenced him to three years in ordinary-regime camps.
When the Judge said ‘An appeal may be lodged against the sentence …’, flowers started flying from all corners of the courtroom. They had been brought by Bebko’s friends, on whom the police and plain-clothes men immediately pounced. A. Sarbayev was taken to a police station.
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On 15 June, the day after Bebko’s trial finished, A. Sarbayev was sentenced to 15 days. He was taken out to work only after 13 days — to clear rubbish. He then went home; when he returned after one hour, the police were already waiting for him. On 29 June he was given another 15 days for ‘escaping’. His cell-mates were amazed: usually even people who escape for two or three days have nothing added to their sentence. On 14 July Sarbayev was released.
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At the end of June Bebko was transferred to Syzran Prison, penal institution IZ-42/2. All through July he waited for his appeal hearing. Bebko’s cell-mates are criminals who rob and beat him: one of them cut his fingers with a razor-blade. As there are too many people in the cell, he has to sleep on the cement floor.
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