Russian arrest of Greenpeace Arctic 30 activists illegal, tribunal says

Date
    August 25, 2015
    Sydney Morning Herald

The Greenpeace Arctic 30, whose protest was criticised by the Abbott government, were illegally arrested by Russia and should be compensated, according to an international tribunal.

Three activists from Australia, including Tasmanian Colin Russell, were among the 30 arrested in what a Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal said on Tuesday was a violation of international law.   

"I never thought at any stage that we were doing anything wrong," Mr Russell said of the tribunal decision. "It's all good news, I have to say."


The first arrests of the Arctic 30 happened when two protesters scaled the Prirazlomnaya drilling platform in the Pechora Sea on 18 September 2013. Heavily armed troops next day boarded and took control of the Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise.   


Mr Russell, who was the ship's radio operator; Sydney resident Alex Harris from Britain; and Adelaide resident Jon Beauchamp from New Zealand, were among those jailed.

They were held, for 79 days in the case of Mr Russell, before all were released in a pre-Sochi Winter Olympics amnesty by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in January 2014 after Mr Russell's return to Australia that Greenpeace was attempting to attract a response from the Russian authorities, "and they got that response".

"If Australians undertake activities overseas that risk breaking another country's laws, or risk breaking international laws, there is a limit to what the Australian government can do once they're subject to another country's legal processes," Ms Bishop said then.

A government backbencher from Tasmania, Brett Whiteley, accused the protesters of deliberately flouting the law.

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said throughout the case, the Australian government spent more time criticising Mr Russell for being an activist than it spent criticising Russia for acting illegally against its own citizens.   

"In fact, the government's recent rhetoric about environmental activists mirrors exactly the language that the Russian Prime Minister was deploying about the Arctic 30 at the time," Senator Whish-Wilson said.

A former high level Australian government lawyer, Henry Burmester, was among the five person tribunal appointed to hear the dispute brought against Russia by the Netherlands, which is Arctic Sunrise's flag state.

The tribunal meeting in The Hague comprehensively rejected public claims made by Russia in defence of its seizure of the Arctic Sunrise.

Russia did not as claimed establish a safety zone around the rig, there was no piracy, a charge of hooliganism was not established, and neither was terrorism, the tribunal said.

The tribunal made an extensive costs order against Russia, including for "damage to the Arctic 30 for their wrongful arrest, prosecution, and detention".   

Russia did not recognise the tribunal hearing, and did not take part in the proceedings.

In response to the tribunal decision, Ms Bishop said Mr Russell was well aware of the risks of his actions, including the risk of contravening Russian laws.

"He received considerable consular support, including representations made by consular officials in Murmansk and St Petersburg, as well as by the Australian ambassador," Ms Bishop said. "Taxpayers are entitled to ask why they should be footing the bill."

Quote:


Who is that ? Who pays for it? What do thay do ?


as for the illegality of a russian arrrest .............. hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhha

The hard right supporting illegal Russian operations ... next they will be praising the Russians for being behind the shooting down of passenger planes.

____ wrote on Aug 26^th, 2015 at 8:00am:




Where is anybody supporting the Russians, I must have missed that bit.