On August 15, the Leningradsky District Court in Kaliningrad moved a hearing in the case of lawyer Maria Boncler behind closed doors. The basis was a motion from the prosecutor, who said some secret information might be disclosed during the proceedings.
According to the prosecution, the court could hear data that Boncler had allegedly passed to foreign intelligence. Boncler herself told the court that her case contains no secret information.
“The prosecutor said that I had disclosed something from their operational-search activities. But before my detention, I did not know that any such measures were being carried out against me. Or when they write that I agreed to work with foreign intelligence, but then, when they order an expert examination, they ask whether there are any linguistic signs that Boncler agreed to work with intelligence. Excuse me, did I agree or are there only signs of it? It has to be one or the other, after all,” Boncler said.
The publication reports that the editorial staff has an audio recording of her statement in court. Lawyer Alexander Chauzov said that, under a ruling by the Supreme Court, hearings may be closed only if the case materials contain information classified as a state secret.
“We believe that the materials in this case do not contain information that has been designated and classified as a state secret,” Chauzov said.
Despite the defense’s objections, the court granted the prosecutor’s motion and closed the hearing. Boncler’s lawyer said the defense would appeal that decision.
The court also terminated proceedings on a complaint against the opening of the criminal case that had been filed by Boncler’s former lawyer, Zavalishin, who no longer represents her.