Press release - 8 November, 2013
Amsterdam, 9 November 2013 – Greenpeace International today released previously unseen footage taken during the boarding and seizure of the ship Arctic Sunrise by armed Russian security officers following a peaceful Arctic oil protest.
The footage shows Russian security agents descending onto the ship from a helicopter by rope on September 19. It also shows how those on board surrendered peacefully to the armed security officers with their arms raised.
"As you can see on the video, the Greenpeace International crew are clearly displaying non-resistance. They are doing their utmost to signal their peaceful intention and the best way to do that is to show yourself in full, with raised arms. They are not the actions of hooligans or pirates, as the authorities allege," said Vladimir Chuprov, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Russia.
The footage also shows how the Arctic Sunrise was towed to the Russian port of Murmansk, where it arrived on September 24 and where the Arctic 30 are still being detained.
In other developments, Greenpeace Russia welcomes the appeal from the Presidential Human Rights Council to the Head of the Federal Investigative Committee regarding the continuing detention of the Arctic 30, announced today by Head of the Council Mikhail Fedotov.
The appeal requests a change to the measure of restraint imposed on the Greenpeace International activists, plus the freelance video journalist and photographer, and also offers members of the Human Rights Council themselves as guarantors for the Arctic 30 to be released on bail. This is an extremely significant gesture by the Presidential Human Rights Council, as they are putting themselves forward personally to guarantee that the Arctic 30 will comply with bail conditions.
From the very beginning Greenpeace International has stated that the arrest and detention of the 28 activists and two freelancers is disproportionate and the charges they are facing, piracy and hooliganism, are ludicrous. We have offered guarantees for each person to be released on bail, including from Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo.
“We are heartened to see the Presidential Human Rights Council take this significant step and hope that the Federal Investigative Unit acts on this appeal, coming from a council responsible for directly advising the President of the Russian Federation. We hope this appeal can help to bring an end to the unnecessary detention of the Arctic 30, which has been going on for 51 days," said Sergey Tsyplenkov, Executive Director at Greenpeace Russia.
Video:
The news access edit can be previewed and downloaded from our online library here
The file and dope sheet can also be downloaded from the FTP server:
ftp.greenpeacemedia.net
User: dvout
Pass: 3e4r5t
Folder: 131107_Boarding_Arctic_Sunrise.mov
Contacts:
Greenpeace International press desk: +31 20 718 24 70 / 
/ @greenpeacepress
Greenpeace International picture desk: +31 207 18 24 71
Greenpeace International video desk: +31 207 18 24 72