Two British detainees arrested by Russian authorities during a Greenpeace protest at an Arctic Sea oil plaftorm have appeared in court in the city of Murmansk.
Greenpeace member Phil Ball and freelance video-journalist Kieron Bryan were among 30 people held as activists attempted to board an oil platform operated by Russian energy giant Gazprom last month in an attempt to stop it drilling.
The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise was seized and the “Arctic 30” are facing charges of piracy in a case which has prompted protests around the world.
“The bail hearings – or as I would rather call them, the detention hearings – have started before the Murmansk regional court,” Sergey Golubok, a lawyer for Greenpeace International, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“As of now, we don’t have information about the outcome of those hearings. But given that all four appeals of Russian nationals which have been considered by the Murmansk regional court have been rejected, I think it would be very unlikely for the courts to decide otherwise.”
Golubok said the detainees were denying the charge of piracy, which was defined by international law as “violent attack with personal gain in mind” at sea.
“All these basic indefensible elements of piracy are obviously lacking in all people on board Arctic Sunrise, without exception.
“There is nothing in the charge which says that these two individuals tried to board. I don’t think it’s fair to say that all of the activists are in the same position and all of them were acting in the same way.”
Despite reports that the detainees were also being accused of drug offences, Golubok said no narcotics charges had yet been presented.
“As of now, none of the 30 people in detention have been charged with any narcotics offence,” he said.
“I’m surprised that the official representative in Moscow announced these charges before the charges are formally handed to the accused here in Murmansk.”
Kieron Bryan’s brother said his family had not been able to speak to him since his arrest and were finding the situation difficult.
The 32-year-old video-journalist, originally from Shebbear in north Devon, has only been able to contact his family through a single letter, written nearly two weeks ago.
“Kieron is a freelance journalist. He is not a Greenpeace member or a Greenpeace activist. This is not something that Kieron would have anticipated at all,” Russell Bryan told Today.
“His job as a freelance journalist involves getting contracts with different groups and organisations and he would not be prepared for any kind of jail sentence.
“For him to be facing charges of 15 years is scary beyond words.
“There is always a risk in the jobs he does, but regardless of that and regardless of Greenpeace’s history, there is no precedent for this.
“Greenpeace are prepared to take responsibility for their actions, but there’s no precedent for piracy charges being thrown at peaceful protesters. I don’t think Kieron could possibly have seen what was to come.”