Background: Nikitin Case

Alexander Nikitin served as nuclear engineer onboard nuclear submarine. He retired in 1992 and then in 1994 he contributed to the Bellona report The Russian Northern Fleet:Sources of Radioactive Contamination. The chapter he wrote concerned nuclear accidents aboard Russian nuclear submarines. The Russian law prohibits to make secret about environment accidents. Besides, at that time the Russian law did not have the list of information pertaining to state secret, so the Russian citizens could not know what is actually state secret. The Russian Security Service, or FSB (former KGB), charged Nikitin with espionage and state treason. Amnesty International considerd him to be a prisoner of conscience who was held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression. Many other human rights organisations around the world raised concerns regarding this case. Alexander Nikitin spent 10 months in detention, went through 13 court hearings before he was finally acquitted by the Presidium of the Russian Supreme court in 2000. This the only case in the Soviet-Russian history when the person was fully acuitted of state treason charges. Today Alexander Nikitin works as the chairman of the Environmental Rights Center Bellona, St Petersburg.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
[ 29.10.1998 Casefile ]
Nikitin trial verdict
Judge Golets' closing statement and verdict, read in court on Thursday 29 October 1998. This document contains strong
critisism of the investigation.
[ 09.05.2000 Casefile ]
Supreme Court verdict
[ 17.10.1998 Casefile ]
The Nikitin trial. Analysis of the indictment
Jon Gauslaa (b. 1962) is a lawyer with a special degree in international law from the University of Oslo, 1988. He has among other worked as advisor in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice (1990-97). He is currently legal advisor of the Bellona Foundation, and part-time lecturer at the University of Oslo. He has published several legal articles.

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