Thursday, 17 October 2013 - 01:31
Village campaigning for Greenpeace activist
Residents of the Groningen Bedum campaign for former fellow villager Mannes Ubels. The Greenpeace activist is detained in a Russian prison on charges of piracy, along with 29 others, all crew members of the Arctic Sunrise.The villagers started a postcard campaign to get Ubels released. The postcards are available in the town, but also at the local tourist office and in supermarkets in Bedum. They are to be sent to the Russian ambassador in The Hague.
Bedum_-_Gele_Klap
Hardscarf
Wikimedia commons The Groningen Ubels appears before the Russian court today, where he will ask to be released on bail. It is unlikely his request will be granted, because the requests from thirteen other activists were rejected earlier. On the front of the postcard Ubels can be seen in the cage he was in during an earlier session of the court in Murmansk. On the back there's a call for his release in Russian, stating "We are against the arrest of Mannes, who has been in captivity for two months already, and we demand immediate release." Bedum Mayor Bakker signed the card this morning in the townhouse. Mannes Ubels was arrested on September 19, along with other Greenpeace activists, when he participated in a campaign against oil drilling in the Arctic. They are now accused of piracy and risk a prison sentence of fifteen years.
Hardscarf
Wikimedia commons The Groningen Ubels appears before the Russian court today, where he will ask to be released on bail. It is unlikely his request will be granted, because the requests from thirteen other activists were rejected earlier. On the front of the postcard Ubels can be seen in the cage he was in during an earlier session of the court in Murmansk. On the back there's a call for his release in Russian, stating "We are against the arrest of Mannes, who has been in captivity for two months already, and we demand immediate release." Bedum Mayor Bakker signed the card this morning in the townhouse. Mannes Ubels was arrested on September 19, along with other Greenpeace activists, when he participated in a campaign against oil drilling in the Arctic. They are now accused of piracy and risk a prison sentence of fifteen years.
