Alexander Nikitin became a public figure in 1996 when he was arrested by the Russian security police, the FSB, and charged with high treason. The cause for his arrest was his contribution to a Bellona report on the security risks related to nuclear contamination from the Russian Northern fleet. In April 2000, after several trials and four years of fighting against the FSB, he was found not guilty by the Russian Supreme Court. Alexander has continued his work for human rights and the environment since then, and is today the chairman of Bellona St. Petersburg.