Thursday, 3 October 2013 - 00:01
Dutch also hear sentence piracy
The two Dutch Greenpeace activists, detained in Russia, are charged with piracy. Fourteen of the activists were charged today, all of them with piracy. The other sixteen will hear their charges tomorrow. The maximum sentence for piracy in Russia is fifteen years.The Dutch were crew members on the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise, which was boarded by the Russian coastguard on September 19. They were protesting against oil drilling in the Arctic.
The Arctic Sunrise carried a crew of 30, among whom two Dutch, campaign leader Faiza Oulahsen from Amsterdam, and chief engineer Mannes Ubels from Groningen.
Greenpeace'_Arctic_Sunrise
Bicycle Bob
Wikimedia commons Greenpeace will first try to get the activists out on bail. The environmental organization expects a hefty deposit because of the serious charge. The time for diplomacy is over now and legal action should now be considered, according to Greenpeace. Their hope is partly based on the Dutch government. After submitting all charges, the Russian authorities have until November 24th to complete the preliminary investigation. Until that time, the activists remain in custody. The investigation will be followed by an immediate conviction, a lawsuit, or another extension of their detention. Greenpeace Netherlands has not been in touch with the two Dutch. They hope the crew members are doing well and that they did not have to deal with the news by themselves, reported campaign leader Jorien de Lege. Amnesty International calls the charges absurd and completely unfounded. The human rights organization wants Russia to immediately drop the charges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to respond to the charges yet. Minister Timmermans of Foreign Affairs wrote in a letter to the house earlier a diplomatic solution is preferable, but The Netherlands is considering legal actions, such as appealing to the International Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg.
Bicycle Bob
Wikimedia commons Greenpeace will first try to get the activists out on bail. The environmental organization expects a hefty deposit because of the serious charge. The time for diplomacy is over now and legal action should now be considered, according to Greenpeace. Their hope is partly based on the Dutch government. After submitting all charges, the Russian authorities have until November 24th to complete the preliminary investigation. Until that time, the activists remain in custody. The investigation will be followed by an immediate conviction, a lawsuit, or another extension of their detention. Greenpeace Netherlands has not been in touch with the two Dutch. They hope the crew members are doing well and that they did not have to deal with the news by themselves, reported campaign leader Jorien de Lege. Amnesty International calls the charges absurd and completely unfounded. The human rights organization wants Russia to immediately drop the charges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to respond to the charges yet. Minister Timmermans of Foreign Affairs wrote in a letter to the house earlier a diplomatic solution is preferable, but The Netherlands is considering legal actions, such as appealing to the International Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg.
