Вил Мирзаянов - State Secrets - An Insider's Chronicle of the Russian Chemical Weapons Program

His name was Alexander Koshelev. He was born in Moscow and lived near Taganka before serving in the Army. When he was 18, he was drafted into military service and was sent to one of the top-secret units that worked with biological weapons on the island of Vozrozhdenie in the Aral Sea. As I understood it, the production and testing sites for biological weapons were located there. Colonel Zaritovsky was the commander of this unit, and Koshelev served there from 1990 to 1992. Along with his friends, he guarded some strange warehouses with a lot of monkey cages, located behind a high barbed wire installation.

Experiments were conducted on these animals on the island. They were given injections of some liquid substance, and the people who did this were dressed in protective rubber suits and gas masks, despite the terrible heat.

The working conditions were extreme. They were isolated, far from the mainland, far from people, and it was terribly hot, which made life unbearably tough on the soldiers. In addition, the sergeants and soldiers who had spent some time on the island cruelly abused the new recruits. They beat them up for anything that seemed like disobedience or lack of respect for their whims.

Once during the summer 1992 an alarm went off in the unit. A few monkeys had escaped from their cages. The bosses were at a loss about how it could have happened. Everybody was sent to search for them and shoot them, because the animals were infected with an unknown disease, which made them very dangerous. Koshelev said in a trembling voice that these monkeys strongly resembled people who were hunted-down, and he felt terrible when he had to shoot a poor stray devil that had hidden among the reeds.

He was discharged from his service two years before that, but he didn’t take to life.

“I don’t understand how I could get to be so cruel. I never suspected that I could be like that,” he lamented. The police took revenge for the inhumane killing of their police colleagues and beat him especially hard. Despite that he still seemed quite strong, as he was only 23.

I advised him to tell his lawyer about his tough service at the test site for biological weapons. Probably one of the reasons for his crimes was the irreparable psychological damage that he had suffered during that damned service.

Having heard Koshelev’s story, I realized again that I was right not to trust military men who, despite repeated oaths that our country had discontinued the production and testing of biological weapons, continued with their dirty business, deceiving not only the people of the world, but the President of Russia as well. So, I told myself, it was my duty to carry through with what I had started, so that chemical weapons were no longer either produced or developed.

Meanwhile, the other prisoners hid their marijuana cigarettes in a special way so that the prison security wouldn’t find the drugs during their search. However, only one trick guaranteed that the weed they had bought would safely make it through all the checks. One of the prisoners wrapped the marijuana in polyethylene film, and then he sealed all the edges with a match flame, making a capsule. I didn’t want to irritate the inmates who were “getting high”, so I observed their manipulations from the corner of my eye. Then I saw that the owner of the homemade capsule stuffed it into his rear end. I was quite shocked at such wildness. Probably the young man noticed that and said that a “buddy” in their cell had a birthday that day, and they had to celebrate it. And how could they celebrate anything without weed?

Soon we were taken to the jail transport van that shuttles prisoners to Moscow jails. I was in high spirits because by Monday I could be free, but the tales of the young prisoners in the van made me grow sad again. “Seri, I was given only 8 years. I just wrapped those judges around my little finger. And you?” I could hear a voice from the cage. Seri answered that probably he would be put on probation. “They have no evidence to pin on me,” he boasted.

The one sentenced to eight years remarked that his sister would be 18 and she would probably be married by the time of his release. “And I will be 30,” he concluded sadly. Seri started comforting him by saying that the most important thing was to make it to “the zone” (labor camp). They say the people there and life are “good.”

The weekend dragged by excruciatingly slowly. Even continuous television coverage of the winter Olympic Games didn’t help. Although I was almost certain that I would be released on Monday, as my cellmates were telling me, I admitted that the judges would probably still try to take revenge on me and keep me in jail until the second trial. The fact that Judge Sazonov didn’t allow my wife to have a meeting with me was a bad omen. He didn’t even consider it necessary to explain the reason for his decision.

On the morning of February 14, 1994, when the court session began, Prosecutor Pankratov took the floor as expected. He read his statement, which repeated his speech from the previous session almost word for word. I could clearly see that the judges were nervous, because the decision to drop the charges clearly meant that they had failed to make their actions seem impartial and objective. Now, following the instructions of their former ally the Attorney General, the state prosecutor claimed that their charges were groundless, but camouflaged it by saying that the case should be sent for additional investigation. The judges were obviously not ready for such a somersault on his part and found themselves in a rather delicate position.

After the prosecutor spoke, my lawyer submitted a petition, requesting my release from prison. Then the judges announced a break so the court could compose a resolution.

Forty minutes later the judges returned and Sazonov read the decision of the court, which said that my case should be sent for additional investigation, but I had to stay in jail. It was only unclear for how long. I was disappointed and couldn’t think straight. However, I tried to convince myself that we had won a really huge, though not a final, victory. I believed the additional investigation, which the Attorney General’s Office had to conduct, not the KGB, would establish the full groundlessness of the charges.

Of course, I was upset that I would have to remain in jail. But, at the same time I believed that the pressure of the international community wouldn’t let them keep me incarcerated for long without any grounds.

Outwardly I was perfectly calm and I even tried to comfort my lawyer who couldn’t conceal his disappointment this time. Obviously, the tension of the few last days showed. He had worked tirelessly and had made all possible efforts to ensure the positive outcome of my case. We had no chance to talk because the guard was putting handcuffs on me to take me out of the courtroom.

On the way out, Asnis ran into Associated Press reporter Sergei Shargorodsky, who quoted him the February 15 thissue of The Moscow Tribune as saying: “I am amazed. I simply cannot find the words to express my disappointment with this decision.” [343] Sergei Shargorodsky (The Associated Press), “Court Halts Trial of Weapons Whistle Blower”, The Moscow Tribune, February 15, 1994. Vladimir Nazarov wrote about it also in Kuranty . [344] Vladimir Nazarov, “The Case – to the Additional Investigation, Vil Mirzayanov – to Jail”, Kuranty , February 15, 1994. The New York Times , [345] “Jailed Scientist Awaits a 2d Trial in Moscow”, New York Times International , February 16, 1994. The Baltimore Sun [346] Deborah Stead, “Prosecutors File Motion to Halt Scientist’s Trial”, Baltimore Sun , February 11, 1994. and Chemical and Engineering News [347] Richard Seltzer, “Charges Against Russian Chemist Undergo Review”, Chemical and Engineering News , February 21, 1994. posted information about latest events connected with my case.Wendy Sloane of The Christian Science Monitor symbolically titled her article with Andrey Mironov’s words “Mirzayanov’s case is the first test of the new Constitution”. [348] Wendy Sloan, “Trial of Russian Scientist Provides First Test for New Constitution. Chemist Tried for Divulging Military Secrets, but Under What Set of Laws?”, Christian Science Monitor , February 15, 1994. A more detailed analysis of the legal aspects of my case was perfectly showcased in an article by Valeri Rudnev. [349] Valeri Rudnev, “Mirzayanov’s Case was Sent for Additional Investigation and Scientist – to the Jail”, Izvestia , February 16, 1994.