(442.4369) WISE-Amsterdam - Since the start of its work in Russia in 1990, Bellona has focused much of its efforts on the nuclear problems in North-West Russia. In 1994, Bellona published an extensive report about the potential sources of radioactive contamination in the counties of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Recently, it published a working paper entitled "Reprocessing Plants in Siberia", which is available in Russian, English and Norwegian.
What appears to have particularly drawn the attention - and ire - of the FSB, however, is a study about the storage of nuclear waste by the Russian North Fleet which Bellona is currently working on. This project has been carried out openly, and partly in actual cooperation with the North Fleet in Murmansk. The FSB's recent action means a severe setback for the project.
Among the residences raided were those of Kontre-admiral N. Mormul in Murmansk and of Mr. Perovskij in St. Petersburg. The FSB confiscated various materials from both houses. Kontre-admiral Mormul had supplied Bellona with non-classified information about the history of the North Fleet, while Mr. Perovskij had been very helpful with professional advice on storage of radioactive waste on the Kola Peninsula.
Bellona suspects that the FSB raid on the Murmansk-office and the subsequent harassment of Bellona staff and their contacts are only the beginning of a larger operation aimed at several or all Russian environmental organisations.
In a letter to the FSB and the Prosecutor of St. Petersburg dated October 15, Bellona demanded an official explanation for FSB's grave action of raiding at least eight different locations in Murmansk, St.Petersburg and Severodvinsk, which it described as totally incomprehensible. Bellona maintained that it had not violated any Russian law in obtaining information regarding Russia's environmental and nuclear problems, that it had not tried to obtained any classified material, and that its sources had not violated any law either. Bellona demanded that the FSB immediately return all papers and documents, as well as personal belongings (diaries dating back to their owners' schooldays, passports, money etc.) the latter had confiscated and make an official apology. Bellona also demanded that its computers be returned, as the absence of these was holding up its work.
On October 18, the St. Petersburg branch of the FSB issued a press release claiming that Bellona possessed some materials containing state secrets, including classified information on the technical-tactical characteristics of some special military units or facilities. The State Prosecutor announced that it would file charges against Bellona on the basis of the contents of drafts of its forthcoming report on the North Fleet. FSB had stated that the report contains secret information.
Bellona's sources for the report may be charged of breaking paragraph 75 in the Russian law on state secrets - the "spy" paragraph on revealing state secrets to foreign powers. According to the FSB, no formal charges have been made against anybody thus far.
Bellona and the authors of the report on the North Fleet may be charged with "organising espionage". The FSB has reacted in particular to chapter 2 of the report, which discusses security issues regarding Russian nuclear submarines.
Responding to the FSB's press release, Bellona has reiterated that all its materials have been collected from open sources, and that only the collation of these materials is their own. The foundation has maintained that it has investigated only into environmental issues and never into military matters. Apparently, notes Bellona, this is now considered a crime.
Bellona and its lawyer in St. Petersburg have repeatedly tried to get official explanations on the FSB's action. To no avail, until now. Bellona has thus criticized the FSB for making charges through the media instead of putting these forward directly to those being charged.
The FSB and the State Prosecutors have recently been on the evening news, alleging not only that Bellona has been helping, or working for, western intelligence services, but also that western environmentalists in general have been using environmentalism as a cover for espionage. Bellona's reply: "We find this statement outrageous, especially because we have always made a point of playing with open cards, seeking cooperation with authorities, whether military, industrial or civilian."
We urgently encourage all readers of this article to pass on the information contained herein, and to express their concern to any representative of Russian government with whom they may come into contact.
Source and Contact: Bellona Foundation, PO Box 8874, Youngstorget, 0028 Oslo, Norway, Tel +47-22-382 410, Fax +47-22-383 862,
E-mail; bellona@bellona.no
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |