MOSCOW, September 30. (Itar-Tass) – Attorneys of Greenpeace Russia have filed an appeal for the arrest of 22 crewmembers of the Arctic Sunrise vessel, Ivan Blokov, program director for the organization told Itar-Tass.  An appeal for eight other members who were detained will follow shortly, the spokesman said. 

Earlier on Monday, the press service of Russia’s Investigative Committee told Itar-Tass that the investigation has reason to believe Greenpeace activists endangered the property of Prirazlomnaya oil rig and lives of its crewmembers. Moreover, they have resisted arrest, the Committee’s representative said.

The incident took place on September 18, 2013, when activists of the Greenpeace environmental organization, onboard the Arctic Sunrise icebreaker flying the flag of the Netherlands, made an attempt to board the Prirazlomnaya drilling rig in the Pechora Sea the southeastern part of the Barents Sea. Russian coastal guards thwarted the attempt to board the platform and tugged the Arctic Sunrise to the port of Murmansk. A criminal case on piracy charges was opened and 30 crewmembers of the ship - citizens of 19 countries - were detained.