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Russia Clears Most Activists In Oil Protest Russia Clears Most Activists in Oil Protest
(about 1 hour later)
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian investigators have dropped the charges against all but one of the 30 crew members of a Greenpeace ship, who were accused of hooliganism in connection with a protest at a Russian oil rig in the Arctic, the group said Wednesday.ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian investigators have dropped the charges against all but one of the 30 crew members of a Greenpeace ship, who were accused of hooliganism in connection with a protest at a Russian oil rig in the Arctic, the group said Wednesday.
One of the crew members, Cristian d’Alessandro of Italy, was unable to have his criminal case closed because he lacked an interpreter and will have to visit the St. Petersburg branch of the Investigative Committee again on Thursday, said Violetta Ryabko, a Greenpeace spokeswoman.One of the crew members, Cristian d’Alessandro of Italy, was unable to have his criminal case closed because he lacked an interpreter and will have to visit the St. Petersburg branch of the Investigative Committee again on Thursday, said Violetta Ryabko, a Greenpeace spokeswoman.
The criminal charges against the crew members were closed under an amnesty that was passed by Parliament, in what may have been an attempt to dampen the criticism of Russia’s human rights record before the Olympics in Sochi in February.The criminal charges against the crew members were closed under an amnesty that was passed by Parliament, in what may have been an attempt to dampen the criticism of Russia’s human rights record before the Olympics in Sochi in February.
Ms. Ryabko said that foreign members of the crew had already applied to the Russian authorities for exit visas and expected to get them soon.Ms. Ryabko said that foreign members of the crew had already applied to the Russian authorities for exit visas and expected to get them soon.
The 30 crew members aboard the Greenpeace ship were detained in September after they tried to hang banners on a drilling platform operated by Gazprom, the Russian-controlled energy giant. They were held in custody for two months before they were released on bail in November. They were originally charged with piracy, but the charges were then downgraded to hooliganism.The 30 crew members aboard the Greenpeace ship were detained in September after they tried to hang banners on a drilling platform operated by Gazprom, the Russian-controlled energy giant. They were held in custody for two months before they were released on bail in November. They were originally charged with piracy, but the charges were then downgraded to hooliganism.
“That was an extremely odd Christmas morning,” one of the activists, Frank Hewetson of Britain, was quoted by Greenpeace as saying.“That was an extremely odd Christmas morning,” one of the activists, Frank Hewetson of Britain, was quoted by Greenpeace as saying.
Peter Willcox, the American captain of the Greenpeace ship, said in a statement released by the group that he was “pleased and relieved the charges have been dropped, but we should not have been charged at all.”Peter Willcox, the American captain of the Greenpeace ship, said in a statement released by the group that he was “pleased and relieved the charges have been dropped, but we should not have been charged at all.”
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has questioned the intentions of the Greenpeace activists, who said they wanted to protect the Arctic, and accused them of trying to harm Russia’s economic interests. Mr. Putin said that he did not mind that the charges against the Greenpeace team were dropped under the amnesty, but that he hoped that “this will not happen again.”President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has questioned the intentions of the Greenpeace activists, who said they wanted to protect the Arctic, and accused them of trying to harm Russia’s economic interests. Mr. Putin said that he did not mind that the charges against the Greenpeace team were dropped under the amnesty, but that he hoped that “this will not happen again.”