SAVE THE ARCTIC – FREE OUR ACTIVISTS
On September 18, a small group of Greenpeace International activists approached the Gazprom Prirazlomnaya oil platform, in the Pechora Sea off the Russian coast, to engage in a peaceful protest of Arctic oil drilling. Two activists were detained and held overnight on a Russian Coast Guard vessel.
The following day, September 19, the Russian Coast Guard illegally boarded the Greenpeace International ship Arctic Sunrise while in international waters. All 30 members of the crew were held under armed guard for 5 days as the ship was towed to the port of Murmansk. Upon arrival, the activists were taken from the ship and held by authorities on land.
On September 26th, 28 of our activists, along with a photographer and videographer who were documenting the action, appeared at a preliminary court hearing in Murmansk, where most of them were remanded in custody for two months, facing investigation for possible piracy. We are demanding the immediate release of all activists, our ship, and an end to offshore oil drilling in the Arctic for good.
Letter to the Russian Embassies
On the morning of Wednesday 18 September two activists from Greenpeace International were arrested as they took peaceful action against Gazprom’s off-shore oil platform Prirazlomnaya, to stop the company conducting oil drilling operations in the Arctic waters of the Pechora Sea.
The following day, September 19, the Russian Coast Guard illegally boarded the Greenpeace International ship MY Arctic Sunrise while in international waters 30 activists were then held under armed guard for 5 days while the ship was towed to the port of Murmansk. Upon arrival, the activists were taken from the ship and held by authorities on land.
On September 26 the 30 activists appeared at a preliminary court hearing in Murmansk, where most activists were remanded in custody for two months, facing investigation for possible piracy.
We are confident that suggesting against peaceful activists undertook piracy has no merit in either Russian or international law. President Putin himself has said he did not believe our team were pirates and it is clearly outrageous to lock up peaceful protesters in this manner.
Greenpeace International was in the Russian Arctic to bear witness and express non-violent opposition towards oil companies’ destructive and reckless oil drilling plans. The real threat to the Arctic comes not from peaceful protesters but from oil companies like Gazprom.
We are demanding the immediate release of all activists, our ship, and an end to offshore oil drilling in the Arctic for good.
We ask that you:
Immediately release the 30 activists who have been detained by Russian authorities in Murmansk.
While being detained, ensure the activists have access to full legal representation of their own choice, consular services, translators, and human rights inspectors.
Prioritise investigation into the destructive activities of oil companies in the Arctic, and not aggressive intimidation of peaceful protesters.
Ban offshore oil drilling in the Arctic for good.
We urge you to transfer these requests to the Russian government in Moscow immediately to assist us in the swift release of our activists from the custody of the Russian authorities, and put a end to the unwarranted aggression and repression of our peaceful protest against Arctic oil drilling.
Yours sincerely,
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