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Media community supports reporter Sinyakov

Piracy charges presented to Denis Sinyakov, who made pictures of Greenpeace’s action by the Prirazlomnaya platform, have caused indignation from the media community

MOSCOW, October 4 (Itar-Tass World Service) - The piracy charges presented to Denis Sinyakov, who made pictures of Greenpeace’s action by the Prirazlomnaya platform, have caused indignation from the media community. Head of Moscow’s Union of Reporters Pavel Gusev condemned the investigation’s decision and promised assistance to Denis. Chief Editor of the Lenta.ru Internet resource Galina Timchenko also offered her guarantees for Sinyakov who had made pictures of the action for Lenta.ru.

Denis Sinyakov is charged under Article 227 of the Russian Criminal Code (piracy made with use of objects as weapons, which caused bad consequences), which offers punishment of up to 15-year imprisonment, the Kommersant writes. Similar charges were presented to all the detained at the Arctic Sunrise, as on September 18 they attempted putting up a banner at the Prirazlomnaya platform. The total of 30 people was detained then.

The arrest of Denis Sinyakov, who used to work with the Kommersant, Vedomosti, Associated Press and Reuters, has aroused Russian reporters and human rights organisations. On September 20, several Internet-based resources in protest refused to put up any pictures to their articles. Several representatives of the federal media signed a letter demanding the criminal proceedings be stopped.

Lenta.ru’s Chief Editor Galina Timchenko said Denis Sinyukov had made pictures for the resource. Before leaving for the action, “the photographer informed the editorial board about his plans and promised to send materials from the Pechora Sea,” the Kommersant quotes Timchenko as saying. She has offered her guarantees for Denis and will present the official paper as the court hears the defense’s claim about changing the photographer’s measure of restraint.

Chairman of Moscow’s Union of Reporters and Chief Editor of the Moskovsky Komsomolets Pavel Gusev called “absurd” the incident where the photographer had been detained.

On Thursday, representatives of the ecology organization said they had claimed restraint measures for all of the detained under the piracy case.

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