A Russian court in Murmansk denied bail Friday to a Canadian deckhand and a British Greenpeace worker from the crew of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, who were imprisoned by Russian border guards in September, Greenpeace said on its Twitter account.
Alexandre Paul, 36, and Alex Harris, 27, are the latest in a string of crew members and activists facing piracy charges in Russia to have been denied bail.
"The judge in Paul's case has rejected the request," the environmental group said.
During the hearing, Paul denied the charges against him saying: "I am not a criminal, I'm proud of working for Greenpeace and have never been detained before. I have always cooperated with the judicial bodies."
When the court turned down an appeal for bail by Harris, her defense lawyer said: "Does this young girl really look like a pirate to you?"
The same Murmansk region court also denied Australian radio operator Colin Russell bail Thursday and ordered him to remain in custody until Nov. 24. Russell joined nationals of France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and four other countries previously denied bail as they await trial on piracy charges.
Meanwhile, unidentified people in masks tried to disrupt a protest staged near the court in Murmansk Friday in support of the Arctic Sunrise crew members, local media reports said. The attackers also reportedly stole a cage in which the Greenpeace activists had planned to hold their protest.
The icebreaker Arctic Sunrise was seized by Russian border guards in mid-September after Greenpeace environmental activists tried to scale an Arctic oil platform run by an affiliate of state-controlled energy giant Gazprom, in protest at offshore drilling in the area.
The group of 30 currently in detention, which includes two freelance journalists, could face up to 15 years in jail.
The group has collected almost 1.5 million signatures for a petition to free the Arctic Sunrise crew, Greenpeace Arctic program coordinator Yevgeniya Belyakova, said Friday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
