Grigory Pasko, a reporter for a Russian Pacific Fleet newspaper, was first arrested in 1997 for passing allegedly sensitive information to Japanese media but two years later he was acquitted of all spying charges. After an appeal, a Military Court in the city of Vladivostok gave Grigory Pasko a four-year sentence for treason end espionage in December 2001. He is currently appealing this sentence to the Presidium of the Supreme Court.
Amnesty International adopted Grigory Pasko as a prisoner of conscience from the start as it considers him to have been imprisoned solely for the expression of his non-violent beliefs. Its more than one million members in 140 countries around the world have been campaigning with many other human rights organizations for Grigory Pasko's immediate
and unconditional release.
Background
In 1993, Grigory Pasko filmed a Russian navy tanker dumping radioactive waste and ammunition in the Sea of Japan. In this film and in a series of articles he exposed the threat to the environment caused by ships of Russia's decaying Pacific Fleet, including nuclear submarines. He also reported on corruption inside the fleet and passed on public information on these issues to Japanese journalists.
Amnesty International adopted Grigory Pasko as a prisoner of conscience from the start as it considers him to have been imprisoned solely for the expression of his non-violent beliefs. Its more than one million members in 140 countries around the world have been campaigning with many other human rights organizations for Grigory Pasko's immediate
and unconditional release.
Background
In 1993, Grigory Pasko filmed a Russian navy tanker dumping radioactive waste and ammunition in the Sea of Japan. In this film and in a series of articles he exposed the threat to the environment caused by ships of Russia's decaying Pacific Fleet, including nuclear submarines. He also reported on corruption inside the fleet and passed on public information on these issues to Japanese journalists.