ST. PETERSBURG — The 30 people arrested following a Greenpeace protest at an Arctic oil rig were transferred to St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Greenpeace International and Russian transport officials said.
A sealed wagon attached to a passenger train transported the group from the northern city of Murmansk to St. Petersburg's Ladozhsky Station, the officials said.
While Russia has not given an official reason for the transfer, it comes after widespread international protests over the arrest of the 28 crew members, Russian photographer, and a British videographer aboard the Greenpeace ship.
St. Petersburg is a more accessible destination for the activists' lawyers and family members than Murmansk, a far-flung city north of the Arctic Circle that gets little light during its long winter.
Greenpeace International Arctic campaigner Ben Ayliffe said in a statement that the organization did not know which pre-detention center the activists would be taken to in St. Petersburg.
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.
