This follows last night’s ABC 7.30 interview with the wife of Tasmanian Colin Russell who is in detention in Murmansk facing charges which carry up to seven years jail (video and transcript now available).
"The Abbott government should follow in the footsteps of Germany, Brazil, the UK and France and more publicly take on the cause of working to see the safe return of these peaceful protesters," said Greenpeace Senior Campaigner Reece Turner who is in daily contact with Russell's wife.
"Christine Russell is correct to hope for more from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. To date Minister Bishop has not even asked to meet with Chrissie as other Foreign Ministers have done with family members.
"Conditions in Murmansk are extremely poor. Colin is in a cell 23 hours a day, the food is poor, he is losing weight and temperatures are already dropping to below zero. No wonder his family is so worried," Mr Turner said.
Academic and expert in the Law of the Sea from the University of Sydney Dr Tim Stephens, interviewed for the program, stated in the segment that what occurred in Arctic waters in September was "certainly not piracy, it's not maritime terrorism. What is it? Well, protest activity. That's not a criminal offence in the law of the sea."
In latest developments, the Dutch government has lodged a rare application at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), asking it to order the immediate release of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and all those who were aboard for the peaceful protest against Gazprom’s Arctic oil platform, the Prirazlomnaya. The hearing begins next week in Hambury, Germany. Greenpeace Australia has written to the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, urging her to send the Ambassador to Germany to the hearing to demonstrate the Government’s interest in the case, and support for Colin Russell.
Yesterday, the last of the Arctic30 were taken to the Investigative Committee and presented with their new charges of hooliganism.
Background
On September 18, the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise took peaceful action at Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform. The Russian Coast Guard reacted strongly: after firing warning shots and detaining two activists under armed guard, they then seized the ship and towed it to the port of Murmansk.
28 Greenpeace activists, and a freelance photographer and a videographer, were first charged with piracy by the Russian authorities. This was later replaced with hooliganism attracting a 7 year jail term.
The Murmansk Lenin District Court ordered that the Arctic 30 could be detained up until at least November 24 while allegations against them are investigated by the country’s authorities.
Greenpeace Spokesperson: Senior Campaigner Reece Turner 0408 754 910