Tuesday, November 5, 2013 - 15:30
Former captain: Greenpeace punishable
The Greenpeace activists from the Arctic Sunrise violated the safety zone of the Russian oil rig and that is punishable, according to former Greenpeace captain Albert Kuiken in a letter to de Volkskrant.In 1993 Kuiken was a captain on a Greenpeace ship on the Barents Sea in the Arctic, and campaigned against drilling by Shell. The inflatables, used during the campaign violated the 500-meter safety zone around the platform, and the Norwegian Coast Guard boarded the ship. Kuiken and the campaign manager were sentenced to 40 days in jail.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"26352","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-5311","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"192","alt":"Arctic sunrise"}}]] Arctic sunrise,
Wikimedia commons,
Mz With his letter Kuiken responds to lawyer Marianne Wiersma's recently published opinion in the same newspaper. She defends Netherlands decision to turn to the International Maritime Tribunal. The former captain states Wiersma is right in saying the activists are not pirates or vandals, but she too easily dismisses the violation of the safety zone. The zone is an important security measure in and around such a platform, and is often guarded by a vessel, underlining the importance of such a zone, according to Kuiken. The Norwegian court recognized Greenpeace had put a lot of effort in the security protocol. Nonetheless, it was made very clear the freedom of expression can in no way justify violating the safety zone, wrote Kuiken in his letter. The Arctic Sunrise, sailing under the Dutch flag, was boarded by the Russians in September, south of Nova Zembla. The crew, including two Dutch, was detained since then. Netherlands turned to the Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg to demand the crew's release.
![[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"26352","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-5311","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"192","alt":"Arctic sunrise"}}]]](http://www.nltimes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Arctic_sunrise_ship.jpg){kind=link}
Wikimedia commons,
Mz With his letter Kuiken responds to lawyer Marianne Wiersma's recently published opinion in the same newspaper. She defends Netherlands decision to turn to the International Maritime Tribunal. The former captain states Wiersma is right in saying the activists are not pirates or vandals, but she too easily dismisses the violation of the safety zone. The zone is an important security measure in and around such a platform, and is often guarded by a vessel, underlining the importance of such a zone, according to Kuiken. The Norwegian court recognized Greenpeace had put a lot of effort in the security protocol. Nonetheless, it was made very clear the freedom of expression can in no way justify violating the safety zone, wrote Kuiken in his letter. The Arctic Sunrise, sailing under the Dutch flag, was boarded by the Russians in September, south of Nova Zembla. The crew, including two Dutch, was detained since then. Netherlands turned to the Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg to demand the crew's release.