Russia’s Supreme Court today acquitted environmental activist Alexander Nikitin of all espionage charges, rejecting a bid by prosecutors to reopen the case against him. Nikitin, a former officer of the Russian Navy, was arrested in 1996 on espionage charges after writing a report for a Norwegian environmental group about radioactive pollution in the Arctic seas caused by decaying Russian nuclear warships. Nikitin spent nearly a year in prison, as well as time under house arrest, and his case has attracted international attention from human rights and environmental activists. He said today that he would continue to live in Russia and work on environmental issues.
