| On 11 September,
journalist Grigorii Pasko was to be transferred to a forced-labor
camp, according to the Bellona Foundation's website (http://www.bellona.no).
International PEN said it is deeply alarmed by the transfer. While
serving a sentence for his work as a military journalist, Pasko
edited the Bellona Foundation's St. Petersburg magazine "Environment
and Rights" from prison. A Norwegian environmental organization,
Bellona reported that it was contacted from Vladivostok by Pasko's
wife, Gallina Morozova, with the news that he was to be transferred
to a labor camp in Ussuriysk, a city 100 kilometers from Vladivostok.
Pasko has been held in a pretrial detention center since December.
Bellona states that the journalist could benefit from an amnesty
later this year, depending on "good behavior," but it alleges
that guards have threatened that they will make it appear that
he broke camp rules, thus jeopardizing his early release. Bellona
believes his transfer will greatly increase his isolation from
his wife and lawyers. Pasko's wife will not be able to see her
husband while he is in quarantine during his first three weeks
at the labor camp. On 25 December, Pasko was sentenced to four
years in prison, a sentence that was later reduced to 28 months
to take into account the 20 months he had already served in jail.
All but one of the 10 counts of espionage were again dismissed.
Pasko's sentence was upheld on appeal on 25 June.
See also:
Grigory
Pasko Case
|
