The charges include trespass, falsification of documents, and impersonating a public official. All eleven face possible jail sentences as well as fines and criminal records. Greenpeace Nordic has also been named under the charges. The activists have also been charged with having committed an offence against Denmark’s Queen, which is related to the trespass charge. Bringing the extra charge required the personal approval last week of Denmark’s Justice Minister [1]; it is particularly obscure provision that has never been used before.
“I will take any justified punishment with my head held high, but these are serious charges that are completely disproportionate to our peaceful protest which called heads of state to take real climate action”, said Nora Christiansen, one of those charged. “Even the threat of these charges could deter others from taking part in peaceful protests, which are an integral part of any healthy democracy”, Christiansen added.
On the night of December 17, 2009, as the Copenhagen Climate Summit talks ground to a halt, three activists posing as a 'Head of State of the Natural Kingdom', his 'wife', and a ‘ security escort’ walked up the red carpet and into the Parliament building. As world leaders arrived, the activists unfurled banners reading: ’Politicians Talk – Leaders Act’, urging the gathered politicians to save the climate. Christiansen and three others were arrested and imprisoned for nearly three weeks following the protest.
“The ability to mount peaceful protest has been at the heart of advancing social justice, environmental justice, gender justice and equal rights in general. Events of recent weeks throughout the world remind us, the need to guarantee the right to peaceful protest could not be clearer”, said Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.
“Around the world, Denmark is widely seen as a model democracy. If the Danish government insists on seeking disproportionate punishment for these peaceful activists, it is not only challenging its own reputation, but also questioning the rights of ordinary people to stand up for their principles”, continued Naidoo. “The real crime is the continued failure of world leaders to take action to protect the climate”.
Naidoo is joining 70 experts from around the world in Copenhagen this week at a workshop examining how the right to peaceful protest should be respected within a democracy. Participants include lawyers, police officers, human rights experts and activists.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
Media contacts:
Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International Communications +31 4619 7327 (in Copenhagen)
Birgitte Lesanner, Head of communications, Greenpeace Nordic, +45 23 95 12 14 (in Copenhagen)
Photographs and video of the 2009 ‘red carpet’ event are available.
Notes to Editors:
[1] Paragraph 115 is a provision of the Danish Criminal Code has not been used since it was enacted in 1930 (it was first called Paragraph 114). The provision increases the penalty of the charges to which it is applied.
The Defendants:
Four people spent 20 days in jail over Christmas and New Year 2009 – 2010. They are Nora Christiansen, Juan Lopez de Uralde and Christian Schmutz, who stepped onto the red carpet, and Joris Thijssen, who was later arrested. A full list of those charged appears below.
Overview of the defendants:
Nora Christiansen
35-year-old Norwegian, living in Valby with her Danish husband and two children. She works for Greenpeace International as a development manager.
Juan López de Uralde
47-year-old Spaniard, father of two. Until summer 2010, he was Executive Director of Greenpeace in Spain.
Christian Schmutz
38 years old, from Switzerland, where he lives with wife and two children.
Joris Thijssen
36-year-old Dutchman and new father. Worked until May 2010 as energy and climate campaigner for Greenpeace International, and is now Campaigns Director for Greenpeace Netherlands.
Morten Rasmussen
44-year-old Dane, father and Greenpeace volunteer.
Victor Rask
38-year-old Swede, living in Denmark, who works for Greenpeace as a volunteer coordinator.
Guilhem they Crombrugghe
33-year-old anthropologist and Greenpeace volunteer from Belgium.
Anders Redelius
37-year-old Swede, who volunteers for Greenpeace in Sweden.
Thomas Müller
43-year-old Greenpeace volunteer from Switzerland.
Melanie Francis
35-year-old from the UK who lives in the Netherlands, where she works for Greenpeace International as a climate campaigner.
Dima Litvinov
48-year-old US citizen living in Sweden with his Swedish wife and three children, working for Greenpeace in Stockholm as a climate campaigner.