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Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise Case

Presidential council of human rights to turn to general prosecutor over arrest of Arctic Sunrise crew

The problem with Arctic Sunrise is very thorny, official notes

Photo EPA/KATE DAVISON

Photo EPA/KATE DAVISON

MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Presidential Council of Civil Society and Human Rights will address to Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika over the arrest of the crew of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, chairman of the council Mikhail Fedotov told a news conference here on Thursday.

“I hope that this court verdict (for arrest) will be reviewed, we will address to the general prosecutor,” Fedotov said.

“Our position is determined in a statement of the committee of freedom of speech under the presidential council: a journalist, who covers an event, cannot bear responsibility for what the participants of these events are doing,” the chairman of the council said, commenting on the arrest of photo operator Denis Sinyakov, who was staying onboard the Greenpeace ship. Fedotov did not rule out that the statement of the committee can be put up for voting in the presidential council on October 11.

“The problem with Arctic Sunrise is very thorny. As for accusations of piracy, I as a lawyer have no problem. With the same success it was possible to accuse them of any other crimes. It is senseless to say about piracy, with the same result it was possible to accuse them of an attempt at group rape...of the oil drilling rig,” the chairman of the presidential council said.

He recalled that the Year of Russia in the Netherlands and the Year of the Netherlands in Russia are going on. The ship sails under the flag of the Netherlands. “It is needed to find calm diplomatic delicate decisions. The accusation of piracy means that we make strange faces to the world,” Mikhail Fedotov added.

Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise Case

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