30 October 1998
(CSCE asks for serious consideration of dropping charges) (500) Washington -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a congressional commission also known as the Helsinki Commission, released a statement October 30 calling upon Russia's security services and prosecutors to "reassess their prosecution of Alexandr Nikitin and seriously consider dropping the charges against him." According to the CSCE news release, "The case of the former Russian naval officer charged with treason in connection with his environmental research has been sent back for 'further investigation' by the presiding judge at the St. Petersburg trial." Following is the text of the release: (Begin text) CSCE NEWS RELEASE - October 30, 1998 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman Helsinki Commission Calls on Russia to Reassess Nikitin Case Washington, D.C. -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe released a statement today calling upon Russia's security services and prosecutors to "reassess their prosecution of Alexandr Nikitin and seriously consider dropping the charges against him." The case of the former Russian naval officer charged with treason in connection with his environmental research has been sent back for "further investigation" by the presiding judge at the St. Petersburg trial. "The prosecution's case against Alexandr Nikitin appears to have fallen apart," said Commission chairman Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-C, NY), "just as many people felt it would under serious judicial examination. While we respect the integrity and independence of the Russian legal system, we would hope that the Russian security services and the prosecutors would reassess their prosecution of Mr. Nikitin and seriously consider dropping the charges against him," concluded D'Amato. "We would hope that the security services and the prosecutors would examine carefully their attitude toward state secrecy and the citizens' right to information affecting their lives," added Commission Cochairman Christopher Smith (R-NJ). This is an issue that all industrial societies have to deal with and we urge Russia to face up to this challenge." Working with the Norwegian environmental organization "Bellona," Alexandr Nikitin exposed dangerous nuclear waste procedures by Soviet and Russian navies in Russia's White Sea region. He was arrested in February 1996 and charged with treason for allegedly revealing state secrets as a result of his published research. After spending ten months in investigative custody, he was freed under house arrest, but confined to St. Petersburg. After a series of on-and-off indictments based at least partially upon unpublished secret military decrees, he was finally brought to trial on October 20. On October 28, Judge Sergei Golets declared the government's indictment "unclear" and sent the case back for further investigation. Yuri Schmidt, Nikitin's chief attorney, called the judge's decision a "a major victory for us, and a total defeat for the FSB (Russian security service)." He noted that "never before in Soviet and Russian history was an indictment for treason through espionage dismissed by the court." (End text)