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He was arrested in February 2001 on charges of treason and fraud for allegedly selling top secret satellite information to a Chinese company. His research dealt with the effect of solar activity on space satellites. Dr. Danilov has consistently maintained that this information has been available in scientific journals and had been declassified for over 10 years. The Supreme Court overturned the acquittal on procedural grounds, stating that the defence team had pressured jurors, a charge that the defence team strongly denies.
The trial was one of the first jury trials in Russia. The use of juries is a new practice in the Russian courts, but is one still plagued by procedural irregularities and a lack of due process. For example, prosecutors have been able to ask leading questions of witnesses and frame questions to juries in a way that ensures the desired outcome. This irregularity has recently been addressed by the legislature.
In a press report, Dr. Danilov stated that he was "very unhappy about [the ruling] and consider it unfair and groundless." Lawyers in other so-called "spy cases," such as the treason case of Dr. Igor Sutyagin (see NEAR Alerts on the case), also expressed concern that this recent ruling represented a setback for human rights in Russia. The Russian security forces, the FSB, have targeted scientists who maintain foreign contacts. Such cases are a serious concern for the Russian scientific community because science is an international enterprise that requires freedom of thought, expression and movement, and the freedom to pursue professional activities without interference.
Relevant Human Rights Standards
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:
Article 19(1): Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
Article 19(2): Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his [her] choice.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send faxes, letters, or emails:
Expressing your concern about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the acquittal of Dr. Valentin Danilov;
Expressing concern at the apparent lack of evidence to support the charges of treason and fraud against Dr. Danilov, as the information he allegedly attempted to sell to a Chinese company has been publicly available in scientific journals and was declassified 10 years ago;
Reminding the government of Russia that the scientific enterprise requires freedom of thought, expression and movement, and the freedom to pursue professional activities without interference, all of which are codified in the international human rights laws and standards that the government has pledged to uphold.
APPEALS TO:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
President of Russia The Kremlin Moscow Russia
Fax: (011) 7 095 206 5173 or 7 095 206 6277
Email: president@gov.ru
Salutation: Your Excellency:
Copies sent to:
Yuri V. Ushakov
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States
Embassy of the Russian Federation to the United States 2650 Wisconsin =
Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20007
Fax: (202) 298-5737
Salutation: Dear Mr. Ambassador
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:
Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science vbaxter@aaas.org;
Natalie Nicora, NEAR, natalie.nicora@nearinternational.org
To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 60 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.
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