Whistleblowers

WASHINGTON (AP) — At a hearing examining the state of health research into Gulf War illness, a former VA researcher accused the department of minimizing the problem and voiced concerns that it was not following up properly with veterans who indicated in research studies they are potentially suicidal.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he is dead, in the latest twist in a case that has severely strained U.S.-Russian relations.

Magnitsky, a lawyer for the Hermitage Capital fund, died in jail in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of colluding in stealing $230 million from the state. He was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion by the same Interior Ministry officials he accused.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court has reduced the sentence of a former Israeli soldier who passed hundreds of classified military documents to a newspaper reporter.

In its ruling emailed to reporters on Monday, the court said Anat Kamm's original, 4 ½ year-sentence was disproportionate compared to the four months' community service handed down to the reporter to whom she leaked the documents. The sentence was cut by a year, to 3 ½ years.

Kamm began serving prison time on an espionage conviction in October 2011.

The head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has backed away from videotaped comments warning employees of “consequences” if they reported wrongdoing outside their chain of command.