Russia has to pay for Greenpeace arrest
The detention of the “Arctic Sunrise” and the arrest of 30 eco-activists following the Greenpeace campaign in the Pechora Sea was illegal and must be compensated, a court in the Hague decides.
The Permanent Arbitrary Court in the Hague on Monday presented a ruling according to which Russia will have to pay the Netherland compensation for its handling of the Greenpeace activitists, Interfax reports.
The Arctic Sunrise sailed under Dutch flag when it in September 2013 campaigned against Gazprom Neft’s oil activities in the Pechora Sea. The activists and the vessel were arrested on piracy charges. They were released in December the same year after Russia agreed to grant an amnesty.
Russia violated international law when it entered the ship and arrested the 30 crew members, the court ruling reads. The crew was later called “the Arctic-30”.
The Arctic Sunrise was allowed to leave Murmansk only in early August 2014.
Russia quickly announced that it is likely to appeal the verdict of the Haugue court.
“The validity of the Russian law enforcement authorities’ actions are not disputable since the arrest of the “Arctic Sunrise” was based on a court decision”, a representative of the Russian side says to Interfax.
