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Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise Case

Human rights ombudsman meets arrested Greenpeace activists

They were brought to the city from the northern port of Murmansk earlier in the week, remaining under detention until November 24

© EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV

ST PETERSBURG, November 15, 14:23 /ITAR-TASS/. St. Petersburg’s Commissioner for Human Rights Alexander Shishlov has met detained activists of environmental campaign group Greenpeace, arrested in September for trying to board a Russian oil rig in Arctic waters.

They were brought to the city from the northern port of Murmansk earlier in the week, remaining under detention until November 24.

“Those under arrest have not complained about conditions of confinement in St. Petersburg,” the commissioner’s office said. "In the ombudsman’s view, conditions are similar to those of other prisoners. In general, they conform to the norms.”

The campaigners have been detained since their ship, Arctic Sunrise, sailed to the rig Prirazlomnaya. They were intercepted by border guards who halted their bid to scale the structure and their vessel was towed to Murmansk.

Lawyers for the group failed in a court attempt to overturn their two-month detention.

Terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall

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