Reporters Without Borders is “stunned” to learn that, by six votes to one, the European Court of Human Rights yesterday rejected Russian journalist Grigory Pasko’s complaint accusing his government of violating his freedom of expression under articles 7 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights by sentencing him to four years in prison on a spying charge.

“We share Pasko’s disappointment as we have always supported him and our position has not changed,” Reporters Without Borders said. “He did his duty as a journalist by making public opinion aware that the Russian navy was dumping radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan, extremely grave actions with an international impact.”

The press freedom organisation added: “Pasko exposed the Russian Pacific fleet’s nuclear pollution but, paradoxically, he was the one who was punished – with several years in prison. By reaching this decision, the European Court of Human Rights seems to be endorsing the Russian government’s attempts at the time to cover up this scandal by all means possible.”

A onetime reporter for the Russian navy in-house newspaper Boevaya Vakhta, Pasko (photo AFP) went on to write hundreds of articles about the navy’s neglect of its nuclear submarines with the complicity of the FSB (the former KGB) and the resulting pollution. While still working for Boevaya Vakhta, he filmed footage of the Russian fleet dumping liquid radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan. It was aired by the Japanese TV station NHK, causing an international outcry.

Accused by the FSB of spying and high treason, he was convicted by a military court in Vladivostok in 2001. A four-year jail sentence was confirmed by the supreme court in Moscow in June 2002. He was finally released for “good conduct” on 23 January 2003, after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

Awarded the Reporters Without Borders / Fondation de France press freedom prize in 2002, Pasko was a special guest last month at an event organised by Reporters Without Borders in Paris for the launch of a book of nature photos (currently on sale) and the release of a report entitled “The dangers for journalists who expose environmental issues