Russian president Vladimir Putin has admitted the Greenpeace activists facing piracy charges for their attempt to scale an oil platform last week are ‘obviously not pirates’.
However, he backed Russian authorities who are looking to bring charges against 30 activists over the incident after warning that they risked people’s lives.
“It is absolutely evident that they are, of course, not pirates,” said Putin.
“But formally they were trying to seize this platform. It is evident that those people violated international law.”
Putin, speaking at an Arctic forum in Russia this morning, said the border guards who stormed the Arctic Sunrise vessel on Thursday had no way of knowing the incident was not being carried out by terrorists.
“Anything could have happened,” he said.
“An operator error or a technical malfunction. There was a danger to lives and people’s health. Are such publicity stunts really worth the possible serious consequences they may bring?”
He added the guards were right to take action against the rig, comparing the incident to the recent Al Shaabab shopping mall attack in Nairobi.
“Especially against the background of the bloody events that happened in Kenya, everything is possible,” said Putin.
The 30 activists were taken from the boat last night by Russian authorities after being towed from the site of the Gazprom-owned Prirazlomnaya platform in the Barents Sea to the port of Murmansk.
Watch video of the activists being taken away below
They were originally moved to the Russian Investigative Committee’s headquarters in Murmansk, before being moved to other locations. Greenpeace Russia said the activists were being detailed for the next two days.
They have not yet been formally charged, but were due to be questioned as suspects on Wednesday.
“All 30 people were sent to different investigative detention facilities in Murmansk and the Murmansk region,” said Greenpeace-Russia spokeswoman Tatyana Vasilyeva said.
“Today questioning continues, but lawyers and diplomatic representatives are not allowed to visit the activists,”
If found guilty of piracy, the activists face up to 15 years in jail and fines of 500,000 roubles.