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Update on Russian Journalist Grigory Pasko June 26, 2002 Pasko has already endured four and a half years of legal battles since his arrest in 1997 for his efforts to publicize Russia's Pacific Coast Fleet's practice of illegally dumping radioactive waste into the Sea of Japan. Pasko, who provided information on the waste-dumping to Japanese media, was charged with espionage and revealing state secrets. A ruling last December actually found that Pasko had not revealed state secrets, merely that he intended to. On this charge, Pasko was convicted and sentenced to four years in a prison labor camp. All of this in spite of the fact that the Russian Constitution explicitly protects environmental whistleblowers from reprisals. The Sierra Club joins the European Parliament, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Helsinki Federation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Norwegian environmental organization Bellona in criticizing Pasko's conviction. This ruling is a serious blow to Russia's standing as a free and democratic country. It also stands as a stark warning to environmentalists in Russia.
1) Forward this link to all your friends, colleagues, family members, and listservs. Encourage everyone you know to take action. 2) Write a letter to Russia's President Vladimir Putin expressing your concerns about this case. You can either e-mail the note to president@kremlin.ru or mail it to the Russian Embassy (for U.S. residents, the address is: Embassy of the Russian Federation, 2650 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007)
SAMPLE LETTER Dear President Putin: I am deeply troubled by Russia's Supreme Court's denial of the appeal of military journalist and environmental whistleblower Grigory Pasko. The Court’s ruling sends a chilling effect to environmentalists and journalists in Russia and represents a blot on your country’s stated commitment to democratic principles, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Since his arrest in 1997, Pasko has been forced to defend himself against charges of treason and espionage for his efforts to document Russia’s Pacific Fleet’s practice of illegally dumping nuclear waste into the Sea of Japan. The most recent ruling issued on December 25, 2001, acquitted him of nine out of ten charges of transferring “secret” information to the Japanese media. On the tenth charge, Pasko was found guilty of possessing handwritten notes taken during a meeting of the Pacific Fleet staff in 1997. The court did not find that Pasko had actually transferred his notes to Japanese media, only that he intended to transfer them. Based on this dubious finding, however, Pasko was sentenced to four years in a prison labor camp. The aggressive prosecution of Pasko flies in the face of your country's Constitutional protections for environmental whistleblowers. It also undermines core democratic principles of free speech and freedom of the press. Unfortunately, in the Pasko case, the prosecution has flouted these rights. Pasko has been declared a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International, which brings with it the demand for his immediate and unconditional release. I strongly support Pasko's freedom and hope that your government will do the right thing to absolve Pasko of all charges. Speaking out on behalf of the environment should not be a crime. If Pasko is forced to serve out his term, it will come at a cost of Russia’s reputation among free nations. Sincerely, President Putin's contact information: President Vladimir Putin Other Russian officials to copy: Vyacheslav Lebedev, Nikolai Petuhov,
Chairman of the Military Collegium of the Russian Supreme Court U.S. officials to copy: Dr. Condoleezza Rice Colin L. Powell Alexander Vershbow
Committee to Protect Journalists Read all the background: International Campaigns: Russia. If you have any questions, please contact Cristina Mestre at (202) 675-7907 or cristina.mestre@sierraclub.org.. Many thanks! Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
