(448.4442) WISE-AmsterdamThe arrest of Alexandr Nikitin is a severe blow against the rights of environmentalists and democrats in Russia. Bellona lawyers in Murmansk and Moscow, as well as human right organisations, have started working on the release of Mr. Nikitin.
Because of the very grave charges made against Alexandr Nikitin and thereby against Bellona the severity of the case cannot be overstated. Nikitin is denied the right of attorney. We ask you to repost this message as seems appropriate and send protests to your local Russian embassy. Several human rights and environmental organisations have committed themselves, among others Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Helsinki Committee. The European Union parliament have also become involved. On 15th Febr. a resolution was passed which in strong terms asked for Mr. Nikitins release, whilst at the same time asking Russian authorities to investigate the legal grounds for his arrest.
Since October last year a comprehensive investigation has been launched incorporating harassment, raids and questioning of a large number of people involved in the Russian environmental movement. So far approximately 60 people have been interrogated. The Bellona branch office in Murmansk was established in the spring of 1994. The office is situated in the Murmansk broadcasting building. Since it's establishment the office has served as a natural meeting point of environmental organisations in the region. International and Russian journalists have used the facilities and knowlegde found there. The cooperation with the Murmansk Shipping Company and the county authorities has been smooth.
Brief summary of events (see also WISE NC 444.4400 and 442.4369):
- Oct. 5 and following days. The FSB carries out their first actions against Bellona in Murmansk and St. Petersburg. Several people are interrogated. Computers and other material are confiscated.
- Oct. 12. The FSB continues with new raids, interrogations and confiscations.
- Oct. 17. The FSB states on the evening news that Bellona was helping western intelligence services, and that western environmentalists in general were using environmentalism as a cover for espionage. Bellona denies the allegations and states that Bellonas is not interested in military issues and that all information is collected from open sources.
- Oct. 18. St. Petersburg FSB puts out a press release saying that Bellona had some materials containing state secret information.
- Nov. 16. The European Parliament adopts an urgent resolution concerning the present situation for environmentalists and democratic rights in Russia. The Parliament is concerned by the reports on the harassing of the Norwegian environmental NGO, the Bellona Foundation
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Nov. 21: Information from Severodvinsk states that more than 20 people have by now been interrogated in Severodvinsk.
Nov. 29: Bellona holds press conferences in Moscow, Murmansk, Brussels and Washington presenting parts of the new information; storage of military nuclear waste at the nuclear submarine base of Zapadnaya Litsa. - Jan. 10: The confiscated material including drafts for a new report is sent to an expert committee consisting of seven people from the HQ of the Russian navy to determine if the material contains state or military secrets. It is highly likely that assessments from this group prompted Nikitin's arrest.
- Febr. 6: Alexandr Nikitin arrested
Source and Contact: Bellona Foundation (Nils Bohmer or Thomas Nilsen) P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka. N-0505 Oslo
Tel: +47-22-382.410, Fax: +47-22-383.862
E-mail: bellona@bellona.no