Before Judge Golets is to start the Nikitin trial in the St. Petersburg City Court Tuesday morning, he will get a letter signed by five members of the United States Senate and nine members of Congress. The letter expresses their concern for the respect for the rule of law in Russia and underlines the importance of a fair trial for Aleksandr Nikitin.

We wish you all wisdom and courage in the difficult decision you face in this case, writes the Senators and Congressmen.

Arriving to St. Petersburg this weekend, former Congressman David Skaggs represents both the Senate and the Congress as and observer during the proceedings in the court. Skaggs was also observing last year’s trial in the St. Petersburg City Court and has written many letters to Russian officials about the Nikitin-process.

Among the signatures in the letter is Senator Edward Kennedy. He has also followed the Nikitin-process with great interest the latest few years.

Kennedy writes that the Nikitin case tells the world a great deal in what it says about the willingness of Russian authorities to blame Captain Nikitin for their embarrassment, rather than to address the serious health, safety and environmental dangers revealed by his work.