A St. Petersburg court on Thursday granted bail to Australian national Colin Russell, making him the last of the 30 Arctic Sunrise crew members to be released following their arrest over a protest at a Gazprom-owned oil rig in September.
Russell, the ship's radio operator, was released on a 2 million ruble ($60,000) bail, just days after his detention had been extended to Feb. 24, Interfax reported. The other 29 activists had already been released and it was unclear why the authorities had taken a different line with him.
The deadline for paying Russell's bail was set for Dec.6, but Greenpeace intends to pay it tonight, allowing Russell walk free Friday.
The Greenpeace ship's crew were detained by Russian coast guards on Sept. 18, after several of them tried to scale Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya platform in the Pechora Sea to protest Arctic oil drilling.
The 30 activists were taken into custody and initially charged with piracy, but that charge was later commuted to hooliganism.
The activists face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
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.
