Izvestia Libel Verdict Recorded

In an unusual move, attorneys in the 49 other states joined lawyers in California today in registering a copy of the first libel judgment against the Soviet Union in the history of the United States.

The nationwide registration establishes a lien on all Soviet-held assets in the United States and is the first step toward their attachment. At stake is $413,000. The action was taken on behalf of Palo Alto businessman Raphael Gregorian, who successfully sued the Soviet Union and its government-sponsored newspaper Izvestia for a libelous article published in November, 1984, labeling him a spy.