Arctic 30 get Amnesty

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday December 18, 2013 19:42 by Justin Morahan

Russian Parliament cries enough

The Arctic 30 who have been under threat of serving long sentences in Russia for their actions to prevent Arctic oil drilling, have been granted an amnesty by the Russian Parliament.

Supporters of the Arctic 30 around have received a copy of the following e-mail this evening:

"Greenpeace

Dear Justin,

Prepare yourself for some great news:

The Arctic 30 have been granted amnesty by the Russian parliament!!

This means the legal action by Russia against the Arctic 30 can come to an end and the 26 non-Russians will be free to return home to their families as soon as they are given exit visas by the Russian authorities.

While we're breathing a huge sigh of relief, they still aren't home yet. And Gazprom and Shell are still planning on drilling for oil in the Arctic. If you haven't already sent a message to Shell's new CEO, click here.

I think the best thing to share with you about the amnesty decision is from one of the Arctic 30.

Peter Willcox, Captain of the Arctic Sunrise:

"I might soon be going home to my family, but I should never have been charged and jailed in the first place. We sailed north to bear witness to a profound environmental threat but our ship was stormed by masked men wielding knives and guns. Now it’s nearly over and we may soon be truly free, but there’s no amnesty for the Arctic. We may soon be home, but the Arctic remains a fragile global treasure under assault by oil companies and the rising temperatures they’re driving. We went there to protest against this madness. We were never the criminals here."

It is not clear when the non-Russian crew among the Arctic 30 will be able to leave Russia. They don't have the correct stamps in their passports because, well, they were brought to Russia by commandos after being illegally seized in international waters.

This fight continues. Accepting amnesty does not mean admitting guilt. It means we can focus on what this is really about: saving the Arctic.

You have stuck with this story since the beginning. The most important thing you can do now is to help everyone you know understand that this is still far from over. The Arctic 30 were in the Arctic to bring attention to the absurdity of Arctic oil drilling. Tell Shell's new CEO to ditch the deal with Gazprom and leave Arctic oil in the ground.

Keep this fight alive.
Tell Shell: End Gazprom deal

Onward,

Ben Ayliffe
Arctic Campaigner
Greenpeace

P.S. If you're on Facebook, share this post today. Let your friends and family know there is still no amnesty for the Arctic."