(WiPC/IFEX) – On 11 September 2002, journalist Grigory Pasko was transferred to a forced labour camp. International PEN is deeply alarmed by the transfer. Already serving a sentence for his work as a military journalist, this transfer will further curtail his ability to continue writing and makes it more difficult for him to receive visits […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – On 11 September 2002, journalist Grigory Pasko was transferred to a forced labour camp. International PEN is deeply alarmed by the transfer. Already serving a sentence for his work as a military journalist, this transfer will further curtail his ability to continue writing and makes it more difficult for him to receive visits from his wife and colleagues.
The Norwegian environmental organisation, Bellona, reports that it had been contacted from Vladivostok by Pasko’s wife, Gallina Morozova, with the news that he was to be transferred to a labour camp in Ussuriysk, a city 100 km from Vladivostok. Pasko had been held in a pre-trial detention centre since December 2001. Bellona states that the journalist could benefit from an amnesty later this year, depending on “good behaviour.” However, the organisation claims that guards have threatened that they would make it appear that he has broken camp rules, thus jeopardising his early release.
Pasko has been editing the Bellona St. Petersburg magazine, “Environment and Rights”, from his prison cell. Bellona believes his transfer will make communications more complicated between him, his wife and lawyers. Pasko’s wife will not be able to see her husband while he is held under quarantine for the first three weeks of his station at the labour camp.
Background Information
Pasko was first arrested in November 1997 after having written on and obtained video footage of the Russian Pacific Fleet dumping nuclear waste and old weapons into the sea. At the time, Pasko was a navy captain working for its newspaper “Boyevaya Vakhta” (“Battle Watch”). He also worked as a freelance journalist for the Japanese press.
Pasko was charged with gathering classified information with the intention of passing it on to Japan. He remained detained until July 1999 when a military court dismissed all ten charges of treason against him, although he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for abuse of his military office. This sentence was wiped out by an amnesty. However, in November 2000, the prosecuting authorities’ appeal against Pasko’s acquittal was accepted, and once again Pasko found himself in court.
The second trial started in March 2001 and, on 25 December 2001, Pasko was sentenced to four years in prison. The sentence was reduced to 28 months to take into account the 20 months he had already served in jail. All but one of the ten counts of espionage were again dismissed. However, the court concluded that one count, based on notes he had taken while covering a meeting of the Pacific Fleet in September 1997 for “Boyevaya Vakhta” that were found in his flat when arrested two months later, did contain classified information. His sentence was upheld on appeal on 25 June.
For further details see the Bellona website at www.bellona.no.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– calling for Pasko’s release
– condemning Pasko’s imprisonment as a gross breach of his right to freedom of expression
Appeals To
His Excellency Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation
The Kremlin
Moscow, Russia
Fax: +7 095 206 5173/206 6277
Also send appeals to the Russian ambassador in your country asking him/her to forward your concerns to the appropriate persons in Russia and also asking for the embassy’s own comments.
Personal messages may also be sent directly to Grigory Pasko’s e-mail: pasko@vlad.ru.
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
