Trial Of Italian Officer Accused Of Spying For Russia Closed For Public - Lawyer

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2022) An Italian court closed to the public the civil trial of Italian navy officer Walter Biot, arrested last March on charges of spying for Russia, and scheduled the next hearing for June 15, Biot's lawyer Roberto De Vita told Sputnik on Wednesday.

The case of the naval officer, currently held in a military prison in the city of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, is being handled by both the civil prosecutor's office in Rome and the military prosecutor's office. On Monday, a similar decision to postpone the hearing and schedule it for June 6 was made by the military court of Rome. The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation should resolve the conflict of jurisdictions and determine the instance of the trial on May 31, the lawyer said.

"On Monday, the military court has not yet made a decision, considering the request of the leadership of the ministers' council to close (for public) the process on national security grounds. When the hearings resume on June 6, the court will continue the process behind closed doors in the same way as the civil judge decided today," De Vita said.

The closed process means that only the involved parties and their legal representatives can participate, making it impossible for media to attend the hearing, the lawyer noted. The council of ministers, the Italian defense ministry and a number of small public military organizations are on the side of the prosecution, he added.

At the same time, the defense can barely access investigative materials due to secrecy, De Vita said, adding that the maximum punishment for Biot could be life imprisonment.

On March 30, 2021, Italy's gendarmerie detained a Russian military diplomat and Biot on charges of espionage after the latter allegedly provided classified documents in exchange for 5,000 Euros ($5,600). The Russian was not arrested due to his diplomatic status, while the Italian was taken into custody. Rome declared the suspects personae non gratae and announced the immediate expulsion of two employees of the military attache's office in the Russian embassy. In late April, Russia expelled an employee of the Italian embassy in Moscow in response.