News

USIS Washington 
File

30 October 1998

TEXT: CSCE NEWS RELEASE ON NIKITIN CASE IN RUSSIA

(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)