Please write to President Yeltsin of Russia. Tell him of your concern about the environmental threat exposed by Alexandr Nikitin and about the treatment Nikitin has received at the hands of the authorities. Ask him to meet his constitutional and international commitments to human rights and impartial justice. Urge him to inform Alexandr Nikitin of the charges against him, and to ensure him a fair trial by transferring his case to the Russian high court. Also urge President Yeltsin to seriously address the dangers exposed by Bellona's report on nuclear safety.SAMPLE LETTER TO PRESIDENT YELTSIN
Dear President Yeltsin,
I am riting because I am extremely concerned about the fate of environmentalist Alexandr Nikitin.
According to your own constitution, Alexandr Nikitin has committed no crime. All he has done is to help publicize information obtained from open sources in Russia. That important information warns of the danger posed by Russia's aging fleet of nuclear submarines, not only to the people and environment of Russia, but to the wider world. The Bellona report, "The Russian Northern Fleet," should not be banned in Russia.
Alexandr Nikitin's basic rights have been violated by the treatment he has so far received from your government. He has been held in prison without charge for ten months, and now he faces future imprisonment without having been informed of his supposed crime. This contradicts your constitutional and international commitments to justice and freedom of information.
The Nikitin case is not merely an internal Russian matter. The issues he has raised affect the global environment, and his treatment is a cause for international concern.
I urge your government to seriously address the concerns raised by Alexandr Nikitin's report on Russian nuclear safety, and to meet your national and international commitments to human rights and impartial justice.
I also urge you to ensure that Alexandr Nikitin receives a fair trial, by informing him of the charges against him, and transferring his case to the General Procurator's Office of the Russian Federation.
I hope you will address this important matter. I look forward to hearing back from you what actions you have taken regarding this issue.
Yours sincerely,
Write to: President Boris Yeltsin
The Russian Federation
The Kremlin, Moscow
RUSSIA
Fax: (7) 095 206 5173
Send a copy to:
Yuri Skuratov
Russian General Procurator
103793 Moscow
B. Dmitrovka, 15a
RUSSIA
Fax: (7) 095 292 1779 or (7) 095 925 1879
