The Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk took up the Nikitin case during his meeting with Yevgeny Primakov, his Russian colleague, on May 27 in Moscow. Yevgeny Primakov stated that the case has nothing to do with politics, as the Russian security police (FSB) is not a political organisation.

The next day, Aleksandr Nikitin met with one of Vollebæk’s deputies in St. Petersburg. The high ranking official from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry told Nikitin that regardless of the fact that Russian authorities are quite opposed to discussing the case, claiming it to be an internal matter, Norway will continue to take it up with Russian officials.

Aleksandr Nikitin charged with espionage and divulging of state secrets 7th time on May 8, is currently under city arrest in St. Petersburg. At a press conference held by Amnesty International in St. Petersburg this week, the case was condemned by this authoritative human-rights organisation.

— The situation with the human rights in Russia today resembles the years of the cold war. The Nikitin case is a confirmation of it, said Derek Evans, deputy secretary general of Amnesty International, at the press conference.

The Bellona representatives invited to take part in the press conference did not succeed in receiving visas to St. Petersburg.