Russia charges five Greenpeace activists with piracy

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Russia charges five Greenpeace activists with piracy

(AFP) – 35 minutes ago

Moscow — Russian investigators on Wednesday charged five Greenpeace campaigners with piracy over an open-sea protest against Arctic oil drilling, the environmental group said, calling the move an "outrage".

The charge against the activists -- a Briton, a Finn, a Brazilian, a Russian and a dual US-Swedish citizen -- dimmed hopes that 25 others detained over the protest could be indicted on a lesser charge.

Piracy by an organised group carries a punishment of between 10 and 15 years.

A spokeswoman for the Moscow-based Investigative Committee declined to provide details of the charges, confirming only that the activists from the group's Dutch-flagged Arctic Sunrise icebreaker detained for two months were being charged.

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Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ioSTUCivVpinFPHJd3CPItdaqIBg?docId=cc4c6aa3-2d50-4433-9b84-e1334b18bd75

[Eugene]

1. Russia charges 14 Greenpeace activists with piracy

Source: Los Angeles Times

Russia charges 14 Greenpeace activists with piracy

By Sergei Loiko
This post has been updated. See the note below for details.
October 2, 2013, 4:55 a.m.

MOSCOW -- Five Greenpeace activists were charged Wednesday morning with piracy in connection with a protest at a Russian oil platform, an official of the environmental group said.

Roman Dolgov of Russia, Sini Saarela of Finland, Anna Paula Maciel of Brazil, Kieron Bryan of Britain and Dima Litvinov, who has U.S. and Swedish citizenship, were charged with organized group piracy in the northern Russian city of Murmansk, according to Vladimir Chuprov, head of Greenpeace Arctic.

(Updated, 8:55 a.m. PDT Oct. 2: Later Wednesday, an additional nine protesters were charged with piracy as the preceedings continued into the evening.)

The charge can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-greenpeace-activists-russia-piracy-20131002,0,4386160.story