Greenpeace v. Russia in the Arctic: the plight of the Arctic Sunrise crew darkens
As 6 weeks of 24 hour winter darkness approaches, the arrested crew of the Greenpeace vessel “Arctic Sunrise” face continued detention in prison in Murmansk, Russia. Greenpeace has produced a video of the plight facing the crew and journalists caught up in this situation.
Also the Guardian reports, 7th November 2013: “Russia will bring more charges against several Greenpeace activists who were arrested for a protest at an Arctic oil rig, investigators have said. Russia has drawn international criticism over the arrest and subsequent treatment of the 30 people on board the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise when activists tried to scale the Gazprom-owned Prirazlomnaya oil platform.
All 30 were initially charged with piracy, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence, but last month the charges were changed to hooliganism, which carries seven years. But Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the investigative team, said some of the activists would also face charges of resisting law officers, which carries a maximum five-year term.
UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, gave an interview on Thursday [6th November] urging Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, to help free the activists, saying the action taken against them was excessive.
Cameron said he welcomed the decision to reduce the charges to hooliganism, but still felt the action went too far. “They are not hooligans, they are protesters,” Cameron told BBC local radio.
Source: Video, The Guardian 7th November 2013: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2013/nov/07/arctic-30-letters-russian-prison-greenpeace . Also The Guardian, 7th November 2013 and for the full text, see http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/07/greenpeace-activists-more-charges-russia
