Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jul 2001
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Copyright: 2001 The Register-Guard
Contact:  http://www.registerguard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/362
Author: The Associated Press

RUSSIANS MAY FREE TOBIN

MOSCOW - John Tobin, a U.S. Fulbright scholar convicted on drug 
charges, could be freed on good behavior in early August after 
serving half his one-year sentence, a Russian official said Monday.

The announcement came two weeks after Russian security officials said 
they may bring espionage charges against Tobin - a claim his lawyers 
called a dubious legal bid to keep him behind bars.

Tobin, 24, was convicted in April of obtaining, possessing and 
distributing drugs in Voronezh, 300 miles south of Moscow, and 
sentenced to 37 months in prison. A higher court overturned the 
distribution conviction on appeal and reduced the sentence to a year.

Tobin will have served half his prison term on Aug. 2 and will be 
eligible to apply for early release, a Justice Ministry spokesman in 
Voronezh, Alexander Babkin, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as 
saying.

The release would have to be approved by the prison administration 
and then by a court, he said, adding that a hearing probably would 
take place on Aug. 4-5.

Tobin would only be freed if he maintains his record of good behavior 
in prison, Babkin was quoted as saying. Tobin is held in Rossosh, 
about 90 miles south of Voronezh.

"So far he has not been misbehaving or breaking the prison regimen," 
Babkin said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe