MURMANSK, November 5 (Itar-Tass) - The transfer of arrested Greenpeace activists from a detention centre in Murmansk Region, Northern Russia, to a detention centre in St. Petersburg is planned to launch this week. The decision on exact dates to begin the convoying is not taken yet, a representative of the investigation department of the Russia's Investigative Committee in the North-Western Federal District told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
“The transfer in St. Petersburg is planned to facilitate the process of interpreting and legal protection for the detainees during the investigative action,” the representative said.
All arrestees remain at the detention centre in Murmansk Region, Greenpeace spokeswoman Maria Favorskaya told Itar-Tass. In her words, the consuls were informed about the forthcoming transfer of the arrestees, the lawyers of the arrested activists did not receive any official information yet.
On September 18, the ship Arctic Sunrise sailed to the Russian offshore oil drilling rig Prirazlomnaya. The Greenpeace activists onboard the ship tried to board the drilling rig. The border guards of the Federal Security Service border department in Murmansk Region curbed their actions, after that the ship was towed to the port of Murmansk.
All 30 people onboard the ship, including four Russians, were arrested for two months and were brought to the detention centre in Murmansk Region. In early October the court of second instance turned down the appeal from the Greenpeace lawyers to change the measure of restraint to the arrestees, who were left in custody until November 24. They were charged with piracy, but later the Investigative Committee changed the accusation for that of hooliganism.