cc:
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
Laurie Brereton, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Alexander Downer Minister for Foreign Affairs
Joschka Fischer, German Minister for Foreign Affairs
Maj-Britt Theorin, European Parliament
Ernst Gulcher, European Parliament
U.S. State Department, Russia Desk

Dear Minister of Police, Minister for Justice, FSB, and Chief of Police Moscow,

We are writing out of deep concern for a friend and colleague, Vladimir Sliviak, Director of the antinuclear campaign of Ecodefense, who we understand was temporarily arrested and released recently outside his Moscow home and who appears to be the object of police harassment.

Mr. Sliviak's beliefs and actions concerning nuclear energy and other policies of the Russian government may not be to the liking of some elements in your government but his beliefs and commitment are widely shared around the world.

We understand that he was stopped outside his home on September 6, by members of the Moscow police, (MUR) who said they were investigating an explosion of August 31, 1999. It seems that Vladimir was shown marijuana, and told that if he did not cooperate it would be placed in his bag and he would then be arrested and jailed for three years. He was released after 1.5 hours.

We also understand another colleague of his, Mr. Kozlov, was similarly threatened.

Vladimir Sliviak is well known to the environmental community worldwide, and respected. There is no way that he could be involved in activities of the type with which the police seem to wish to associate him.

The right to protest and to question and oppose government policies, is enshrined in the democratic tradition and is an integral part of civil society. It is also enshrined in a number of United Nations conventions. It is not a luxury, to be dispensed with in times of difficulty.

The environmental movement in the U.S., Australia, and Europe is held in high respect even by those it opposes. Green political parties have prominent representation in many European parliaments and in the European Parliament, and the German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is from the Green Party. Other political parties have largely adopted parts of the environment movements agenda.

You may be sure that the activities of the Moscow police and authorities with respect to Mr. Sliviak are being very well observed by a large and sympathetic worldwide community.

We trust that these incidents were in error and will not be repeated, that the law will be respected and enforced above all by those whose duty it is to do so.

John Hallam,
Nuclear Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Sydney.

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Washington, DC

Susan Shaer, Executive Director
Pat Ortmeyer, Field Director for Nuclear Waste Issues
Womens Action for New Directions
Arlington, MA