MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The Hague Court of Arbitration that has ordered Russia to pay compensation for the 2013 Arctic Sunrise Greenpeace ship incident encourages illegal steps, Foreign Ministry Deputy spokesman Artyom Kozhin told reporters on Thursday.
"Russia did not take part in this court proceeding as it adhered to and continues adhering to a position that the arbitration has no jurisdiction in this case," the diplomat said.
The decision "is not of a comprehensive character and ignores the common practice of countries on countering irresponsible steps in the sea, including at potentially dangerous and complex technological facilities," he said.
"Unfortunately, we have to state that by its actions the arbitration court in fact encourages targeted illegal steps in the exclusive economic zones of states, on their continental shelf justified by the so-called ‘peaceful protest’," Kozhin said.
An international tribunal, established with support of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, ordered Russia on Tuesday to pay almost 5.4 mln euros as compensation for the detention and arrest of a Greenpeace vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, in 2013.
The vessel, operated by Greenpeace International, approached Russia’s offshore oil platform - the Prirazlomnaya - on September 18, 2013. The Greenpeace activists onboard tried to land on the platform, but were stopped by border guards, after which the vessel was towed to the Arctic city of Murmansk. The Arctic 30, including four Russians, were arrested. In late November 2013, the activists were released on bail and subsequently granted amnesty by decree of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament.