A military court convicted Russian navy captain turned eco-warrior Grigory Pasko of high treason today, handing down a four year jail term for passing state secrets to Japan.
The decision stunned Pasko and his defense team, who had expected the military journalist to be cleared at the retrial of his case, which has highlighted concerns about media freedom.
The court found the ex-navy captain guilty of high treason in the form of espionage under article 275 of the legal code, and ordered he serve his sentence in a high security prison.
The court threw out nine of the 10 charges against Pasko, but his lawyer Ivan Pavlov was visibly shocked by the decision.
"The court's decision is illegal and we will tomorrow lodge an appeal," he said. After the verdict Pasko was handcuffed and led from the court room.
Sergei Mironov, the new speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, has said he would urge President Vladimir Putin to grant a pardon should Pasko lose his case, NTV television said.