AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

On 25 November 2004, Russian physicist Dr. Valentin Danilov was sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security prison. Dr. Danilov, former head of the Thermo-Physics Center at Krasnoyarsk State Technical University, was found guilty of espionage and embezzling funds earlier that month. He was arrested in February 2001 after being accused of selling top secret satellite information to a Chinese company. Dr. Danilov has consistently maintained that this information has been available in scientific journals and had been declassified for over 10 years. The fraud charges are linked to his payment in cash to contractors working on the research project. Although, making payments in cash does violate financial regulations, it is not an infraction that usually merits jail time in Russia.

International observers expressed concern with the guilty verdict and the stiff sentencing. They claim that Dr. Danilov's case is part of government campaign to intimidate scientists from seeking out foreign contacts and commercializing their research. There were also some procedural concerns. According to Dr. Danilov's defense attorney, the judge framed the central questions to consider to the jurors in such a way as to avoid the issue of whether the information used in the research was, in fact, secret.

The cases of Dr. Danilov and the other "spy cases" in Russia are of serious concern for the 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.

(Sources of information for this case include: The Washington Post and the Chronicle of Higher Education..)

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 13: An alien lawfully in the territory of a State Party to the present Covenant may be expelled therefrom only in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with law and shall, except where compelling reasons of national security otherwise require, be allowed to submit the reasons against his expulsion and to have his case reviewed by, and be represented for the purpose before, the competent authority or a person or persons especially designated by the competent authority.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send faxes, letters, or emails:

• Expressing your concern about the recent sentencing 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.

  APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

  Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
  President of Russia
  The Kremlin
  Moscow
  Russia
  Fax: (011) 7 095 206 5173 or 7 095 206 6277
  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, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6797; email vbaxter@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

  The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

  To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

  
  

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