Russia to now charge Greenpeace crew of ‘hooliganism’
26 Oct 2013 4:07 AM IST
Russia said on Wednesday it had reduced piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists detained at sea while protesting against Arctic drilling, to the lesser count of ‘hooliganism’.
The investigative committee, the Russian agency in charge of probing serious crimes, said it had ‘taken the decision to reclassify the crime as hooliganism’.
The crew of Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise ship, who come from 18 countries including Britain, Australia, Spain and Russia, had been facing up to 15 years in a penal colony if found guilty of piracy.
The new charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in a penal colony.
Greenpeace on Wednesday said the hooliganism charge was still ‘wildly disproportionate’ and called for its activists to be immediately released.
Russia charged the crew of the Dutch-flagged ship with piracy early this month after they attempted to scale a state-owned oil platform in a protest against drilling in the Arctic. They are being held in pre-trial detention until 24 November in the northern Russian region of Murmansk.
The investigative committee, the Russian agency in charge of probing serious crimes, said it had ‘taken the decision to reclassify the crime as hooliganism’.
The crew of Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise ship, who come from 18 countries including Britain, Australia, Spain and Russia, had been facing up to 15 years in a penal colony if found guilty of piracy.
The new charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in a penal colony.
Greenpeace on Wednesday said the hooliganism charge was still ‘wildly disproportionate’ and called for its activists to be immediately released.
Russia charged the crew of the Dutch-flagged ship with piracy early this month after they attempted to scale a state-owned oil platform in a protest against drilling in the Arctic. They are being held in pre-trial detention until 24 November in the northern Russian region of Murmansk.
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