Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise Ship Case

On 18 September 2013, Greenpeace activists attempted to scale the Prirazlomnaya drilling platform, as part of a protest against Arctic oil production.

The following day, on 19 September 2013, Russian authorities seized the Greenpeace ship the '' Arctic Sunrise'' in international waters in the Russian Exclusive Economic Zone, arresting the crew at gunpoint, towing the ship to Murmansk, and detaining the crew of 28 activists and two freelance journalists for three months.

The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal investigation, charging the activists initially with piracy and later with hooliganism.

Since the ''Arctic Sunrise'' had been flying the Dutch flag, the Netherlands filed a case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS case 22) and obtained an order for the release of the crew and ship pending a final adjudication of the matter.

In December 2013, despite having had ignored the ITLOS ruling, Russia released the crew anyway as part of a general amnesty adopted by the State Duma, after three months of detention. The ''Arctic Sunrise'' itself was released another six months later, in June 2014.

Background

On 11 August 2013, the Greenpeace ship '' Arctic Sunrise'' left the Norwegian port of Kirkenes to begin a month-long expedition in the Arctic to protest against oil exploration in Arctic waters.Rawer, Daniel, Greenpeace, 12 August 2013.
/ref> The ''Arctic Sunrise'' sailed into the Barents Sea and was then refused permission three times by the Russian authorities to enter the Northern Sea Route although the refusal is in violation of international law including the right to freedom of navigation."Russia shuts Greenpeace out of Arctic Sea route, stifles criticism of oil industry"
Greenpeace, 21 August 2013.Rashini Suriyaarachch
"Defending the Arctic even as Russia threatens to use force"
Greenpeace, 26 August 2013. On 23 August, Greenpeace ignored Russia's ban to protest state oil company Rosneft's operations in the Arctic and entered the international waters of the Kara Sea."Greenpeace Ship Sails to Arctic Kara Sea Despite Ban"
RIA Novosti, 24 August 2013. On 26 August, the ''Arctic Sunrise'' left the Northern Sea Route, after the Russian coastguard boarded the boat and threatened to use force if they would not leave the international waters of the Kara sea."Russians Force Greenpeace Ship to Leave Kara Sea"
''Environment News Service'', 26 August 2013.

Prirazlomnaya protest, and seizure of the ''Arctic Sunrise'' and crew

On 18 September 2013, four RHIB inflatables were launched from the ''Arctic Sunrise'' from its position in the Pechora Sea."Greenpeace Storms Prirazlomnaya Platform in Arctic"
''The Moscow Times''. The RHIBs carried Greenpeace activists and crew members towards Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya drilling platform. At the time of the action, the ''Arctic Sunrise'' tweeted "We're going to try and stop the drilling.",''Arctic Sunrise'' Twitter feed
18 September 2013 ''Twitter''. although subsequently Greenpeace have stated that their aim was to hang banners on the oil rig to call for an end to Arctic drilling. Two activists managed to attach themselves to the platform and attempted to climb, despite being blasted with water, while another activist tried unsuccessfully to become attached to the platform. The Russian coastguard fired warning shots from AK-74 rifles and four warning shots from a cannon on board the ''Ladoga'' coastal patrol vessel. The two activists were removed from the platform and held on board the coastguard vessel, although it was unclear whether or not they had been placed under arrest."Greenpeace Activists Being Held Without Charge By Russia" Greenpeace assails oil rig in Russian Arctic
BBC News, 18 September 2013.
''Scoop Independent News'', 20 September 2013."Answers to questions posed by the Tribunal"
7 November 2013'' International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea''.

On 19 September 2013, the day after the Prirazlomnaya protest, the Russian authorities forcibly took control of the ''Arctic Sunrise'', which was boarded from a helicopter by fifteen Federal Security Service officers in balaclavas, armed with guns and knives.Brown, Jonatha
"Russia arrests 30 environmental activists during Arctic protest"
20 September 2013'' The Independent''. At the time of the boarding, the ''Arctic Sunrise'' was in Russia's Exclusive Economic Zone but not within the safety zone around the oil rig, and permission was not sought to board it from the ''Arctic Sunrises flag state, the Netherlands. The captain was separated from the crew and brutally beaten, while other crew members and activists were held in the mess room.Wilson, Stev
"Russia ''seizes'' Greenpeace ship after Arctic rig protest"
20 September 2013'' The Daily Telegraph''. It has been alleged that crew members and activists were brutally beaten, punched, and kicked during the forced boarding.

The ''Arctic Sunrise'' was towed to the port of Murmansk. All of the 30 people on board were taken to a detention facility where they were brutally beaten and interrogated. In early October, the Leninsky District Court in Murmansk issued a warrant to arrest all 30 people. 22 were put in custody for two months pending an investigation and the other eight were detained for three days pending a new hearing. They were under investigation for piracy, which in Russia carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years.Vasilyeva, Nataliya. Associated Press
"Greenpeace To Appeal Activists’ Jailing In Russia"
ABC News, 27 September 2013."Greenpeace to appeal over activists held in Russia"
BBC
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