Russia 'finds drugs' on Greenpeace ship, new charges loom

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

Moscow — Russian investigators said Wednesday several of the 30 Greenpeace activists already charged with piracy over an open-sea protest were set to face new charges for "other grave crimes" after finding drugs on their ship.

The environmental group vehemently denied the charge that their vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, had carried illegal drugs, calling the allegation a "smear."

The Investigative Committee said the authorities had found "narcotic substances" on the Dutch-flagged Arctic Sunrise detained by Russia after 30 Greenpeace activists from 18 countries staged a protest against Arctic oil drilling last month.

They added that some of the equipment on the vessel was of "dual purpose" and "could have been used not just for ecological purposes."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hSc8XL1OiIDckZtNsDzfcnIdnNAA?docId=13b20597-c966-4802-be74-696a3d41fe3a

[KamaAina]

1. Does 'find' sound like 'plant' in Russian?

[happyslug]

4. The Russians are claiming opiates

The "narcotic substances" confiscated during the search are "presumably poppy straw and morphine," investigators said.

Poppy straw is used to produce opium. Painkiller morphine is subject to strict rules in Russia on how it must be stored by medics.

Could be planted, but also could have been taken on board by one of the crew members and the rest did not know about it. The problem is, if it is the case that just one of them had the opiates on board, that is enough even in the US to charge all of the members of the crew. The burden is on the rest of the members of the Crew to show they did not know, and thus we come to the question "How do you prove a negative?". How do you prove you did not know that the drugs were on board.

A third alternative is the drugs were part of the Ship's medical kit, kept in the safe. The problem may be that Russia does NOT permit ships in its waters to have such drugs, even if kept for emergency medical purposes. This would again make possession of the drugs illegal under Russian law.

Just a comment that these drugs may NOT have been planted, but while legal on a Dutch Ship on the high seas, illegal if that ship enters the waters of the Russian Republic which it did when the incident occurred and the ship was taken over by Russian forces.

[joshcryer]

20. Knowing activist types it could've been poppy straw for poppy tea.

There may be some on board who would refuse to take morphine for pain killing but would accept a poppy tea.

Either way Russia is just trying to think of more charges than simply trespassing (which they would get a slap on the wrist and deportation for).

[davidpdx]

25. That is an interesting possiblity

It sounds to me like they've already been convicted despite the fact that they weren't even in Russia at the time. They were dragged ashore by the Russians. What's next accusing some of them of being gay?

[joshcryer]

33. Nah, Russia can detain for a long time.

They're trying to think up charges to send a message.

Trespassing isn't a big deal. Couple months at most. Then deportation. They're likely halfway through that sentence. Once the charges come down they probably walk. Russia can't have that.

Technically the platform was Russian property, so climbing on it, they are under Russian laws, but the worst they could get, technically speaking, is trespassing. They knew that going into it. They knew what they were going to be jailed for. They probably had nightly meetings about what the repercussions would be. The activists aren't stupid. But Russia wants to pin something more on them to make them "feel it." In this case it would be a drug charge. (The initial terrorist charge even Putin dismissed as silly, mind you, but that's what they were originally suspected of and detained for.)

[Turborama]

37. Just wanted to correct one thing

They were initially charged with piracy, and I think that charge still hasn't been dropped.

Why I'm not sure about the piracy charge being dropped is because I found a really interesting article earlier about the motives behind Putin saying it obviously wasn't piracy. I'm on my phone now and will find and share it when I get back on my laptop...

[joshcryer]

38. oops my bad

you are right it was piracy, not terrorism

they know the piracy charge won't stick though

[Turborama]

46. Here it is...

I think you'll find this an interesting take...

Putin's War on Greenpeace
08 October 2013

=snip=

President Vladimir Putin has stepped forward to play the "good cop" by disputing the official findings of the investigators. "Of course, it is quite obvious that they are not pirates, but formally they were trying to capture the platform, and our law enforcement agencies could not be certain exactly who might have been trying to seize the platform under the guise of Greenpeace," Putin said. That statement led some to believe that the severity of the charges would be reduced and the environmentalists simply fined and released.

However, I would not hurry to interpret Putin's words as a clear signal to law enforcement bodies that they should cease and desist. Putin has repeatedly emphasized that he cannot put pressure on investigators or the courts, saying that in Russia both are independent bodies. Of course, that does not mean they are independent in the Western understanding of the word. But by taking that position, the authorities can distance themselves from events and retain the ability to later step in if necessary as the savior or liberator of the activists. Maintaining a safe distance also enables leaders to avoid responsibility for any "excesses" committed by the siloviki, especially considering that Russia's machinery of repression has become a steamroller without any brakes.

=snip=

Not only did Kremlin administration head Sergei Ivanov recently speak contemptuously of Greenpeace in an interview, but the Russian leadership as a whole sincerely believes that members of the organization are paid to "carry out the orders" of Russia's enemies — in this case, its rivals for the natural resources of the Arctic. Convinced that they are correct in this assumption, the Russian authorities are prepared to push the case much further than is supposed by those who think the environmentalists will get a slap on the hand and an easy release after two weeks in detention.

Full article: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/putins-war-on-greenpeace/487539.html

[politicat]

29. If current GP is anything like GP in the past, they did their own shakedown first.

I did a few direct actions in the early 90s against a proposed tire manufacturing/recycling site. Just a small, local civil disobedience, but before we went to the site, we thoroughly searched each other's stuff so when we were arrested, our only possible charge would be obstruction of traffic.

Greenpeace is passionate, but they're not stupid.

I smell a plant.

[msanthrope]

2. If only there were a super-hacker in Russia who could expose this, along with his friends--a brave

columnist for the Guardian, and a filmmaker in Germany.

If only they could shed some light on this!! Maybe question The Shirtless One?

[leftynyc]

8. LOL

You comment will either be ignored or shat upon. Wanted you to know you made me laugh and I seriously approve of your comment.

[jmowreader]

14. It would have to be in a publicly-accessible folder before that guy could expose it

[MADem]

26. LOL x2! nt

[grantcart]

39. If only there were "liberals" to come to the aid of mother

Russia as they are invaded by these chemical weapons from the West.


Some are still here. Certainly it will ring a bell for someone.

[freshwest]

42. Can't happen. He's working for the Russians now, not against them. That gambit has been played...

[Benton D Struckcheon]

3. Hmph. Adding to their credibility every day, these guys. n/t

[LanternWaste]

6. That's the Russians for ya...

That's the Russians for ya...

[BillyRibs]

5. I call

Bullshit!

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. If I were brave enough to be on that ship (I'm not) I would have LOTS of drugs along:

Aspirin as well as bottles and bottles of Dramamine!

[freshwest]

47. Cases of Dramamine! Tough guys, though...

[Howdy Partner]

9. Russia has lost its credibility lately

First they lied about the rebels being responsible for chemical weapons attacks, now this.

[gopiscrap]

10. welcome to DU

[Wolf Frankula]

11. Reminds when The Police found Tea on the Rutles.

Uncertain if they would find any, they brought their own.

Wolf

[NickB79]

12. Found their pot stash, probably

And yes, I do believe a shipload of Greenpeace activists at sea for weeks at a time would have at least a few joints stashed away somewhere.

And the "dual-purpose" equipment? Probably their bongs.

Just the Russians looking for more ways to trump up the charges.

[jmowreader]

15. Nope. Opium precursors and morphine

[freshwest]

43. Why would they need those?

[jmowreader]

45. The morphine I can see, it has legitimate medical uses

The opium straw? They make tea out of it, but I think if I was a drug user who was going to sea and had only a small amount of storage space for personal things I wouldn't want drugs that were bulky like weed or poppy straw.

[Downtown Hound]

16. Yes, many authoritarians have used just that stereotype and excuse

to suddenly "find" drugs on political activists.

[Theyletmeeatcake2]

13. Weren't they in international waters ?

And whose laws would be They be breaking? Just asking....

[davidpdx]

17. Yes, but we all know it's just a ruse

to make their arrest look creditable.

[freshwest]

44. It appears they crossed the line into the Russian sector of the Artic Circle.

Last edited Sat Nov 9, 2013, 05:10 PM - Edit history (1)

The Arctic Circle borders the territory of the USA, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Russia. (Greenland, on the map, still belongs to Denmark.)

All the nations are increasing their fleets in the area as it is easier to travel now, to protect their rights. Russia has more ports there than any other, and is protecting its sovereignty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Ocean#Extent_and_major_ports

Russia has the right to do this. It may also be a face-saving action after losing some 'face' to Obama on Syria.

JMHO.

[davidpdx]

18. This just in, foreign drug dealers posing as enviromentalists

Yes, you heard it first here on RT News

[1000words]

21. Here is coverage of the story on RT News website:

http://rt.com/news/greenpeace-drugs-arctic-sunrise-937/

Seems even-handed to me.

[davidpdx]

23. Except that the words narcotics and poppy are used with no use of the word alleged

meaning the Russians have already made the conclusion that illegal drugs were on the ship. We'll see if anyone follows up with the claim that the ship was searched prior to departure. That should be fairly easy to confirm.

It sounds like me they are ready to put them in front of a kangaroo court and convict them.

[1000words]

28. That's a good point

Personally, I believe the charge to be fabricated as well.

On edit: Won't there be definitive evidence of innocence from the Norwegian authorities that searched the ship prior to shoving off?

[davidpdx]

31. If the search occurred, then I would imagine the Norwegian authorities

would have a record of it. Sounds like an easy enough thing to verify. They certainly wouldn't have let the ship leave if drugs were found. Norway is one of the least corrupt nations in the world. If I had my choice of believing Norway or Russia, I'd choose Norway everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

[joshcryer]

24. Poppy straw could be used in a herbal tea.

The RT article "even handedly" refers to it as a precursor to heroin. (Even though no quantities are noted, or what.)

A handful of poppy straw for a poppy tea (which a herbally inclined user would prefer in the case of a medical emergency) is hardly a heroin precursor.

I don't find that RT propaganda piece even handed at all.

[MADem]

27. It's only "even handed" if your name is Pootie Poot...!

I'm sure he's saying that is completely fair coverage coming out of his propaganda arm...

[joshcryer]

30. You got to wonder what quantity of "poppy straw" would be a dose of herion.

I mean, really, c'mon. GP activists could be expected to prefer herbal remedies for some afflictions. A herbal tea made of poppy straw, I can see, being preferred by at least one of the 30+ activists on board. Otherwise you need kilos of that shit to make heroin at viable quantities, imo.

[davidpdx]

32. Good question

and an interesting perspective on the poppy straw which I had no idea could be used for tea. Maybe someone should ask for a picture of the evidence so we can see exactly how much it is. I can just imagine someone with a small fistful of straw saying "yeah it's drugs".

[joshcryer]

36. I have been, and know, activists, and herbal stuff is preferred.

There's no other reason to have "poppy straw" except for making tea, unless you have very large quantities of it. And I highly doubt that the boat had large quantities (kilos, minimum). It was probably being used as a herbal remedy. Not necessarily medical, it's very possible some were using it as a calming remedy or even a sleep remedy (even possible it was used as an anti-sea-sickness remedy). Regardless. The Russian government appears to be reaching here. And Greenpeace is standing firm.

[davidpdx]

41. I can imagine sea sickness would be a problem

I wouldn't last a week out there, much less months. Hopefully they are released soon.

[MADem]

35. Cock a doodle doo, any excuse will do!

They just want to arrest 'em, and they'll hang their hat on any obscure point to do it.

I'll bet if they found a gay guy in that damn bucket they'd find a way to hold 'em all on the "propagandizing" law.

[blkmusclmachine]

19. Anything that MIGHT have been "found" there was mostly assuredly planted there by the Russians.

[Turborama]

22. Part of Putin's ongoing war against NGOs...

Related article from March...

Vladimir Putin's crackdown on NGOs is return to rule by fear

The unprecedented sweep of civil society groups in Russia shows that Vladimir Putin has shifted to ruling openly by the politics of fear. The powerful president has yet to recover from the protests that swept Russia around his return to the Kremlin last year. Protesters have been arrested, organisers charged, Pussy Riot jailed, and now non-governmental organisations targeted as potential agents of the west.

The sweeps were conducted under a controversial law adopted last year, requiring all NGOs who receive foreign funding to register as "foreign agents". In Russian, the term conjures images of Soviet-era propaganda beseeching citizens to avoid contact with all foreigners. The idea that all foreigners are spies has once again been revived. It began when Putin blamed the protests on Russia's traditional external enemy, the United States.

To many, the raids – in which officials from the prosecutor's office, tax inspectorate and ministry of justice combed through registration and financial documents – came as a surprise. Inside Russia's human rights community it was expected, after Putin suddenly recalled the law during a meeting with officers from his feared security services last month. "It was a classic signal," said Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch, whose Moscow office was raided on Wednesday.

The net has been cast wide. It is not only the traditional groups of which the Kremlin has long voiced suspicion that have been targeted. Caught up in the raids are NGOs across Russia, including a Catholic church in the southern region of Rostov, a young environmentalist group called Akva in the port city of Novorossiysk, an Aids charity in the region of Bashkortostan. Lest they forget, these groups now know they are being watched.

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/27/vladimir-putin-crackdown-ngo-russia

[davidpdx]

34. Which makes sense not only because of Pussy Riot

but anyone even thinking about protesting during the Olympics. Iron-fisted Putin will crush you. That is the message.

[grantcart]

40. Just go to the top political story at the link

Police attacked peaceful protestors and is facing either 10 years in jail or long term incarceration to a closed psychiatric ward:

http://rt.com/politics/kosenko-court-verdict-asylum-932/

A Moscow court has recognized a participant of 2012 street protests guilty of rioting, but did not issue a prison sentence - sending the convict to a closed psychiatric ward instead.

According to the verdict of the Zamoskvoretsky District Court, 38-year-old Mikhail Kosenko was found guilty of taking part in mass unrest and of applying violence to a representative of the authorities, crimes that can carry up to eight and 10 years in prison respectively. Both offences were committed on May 6, 2012, during the so called Bolotnaya Square riots – clashes with police during a thousands-strong rally against alleged violations during the 2011 parliamentary poll.

According to prosecutors, during the unrest Kosenko punched and kicked an officer from the OMON riot police squad.

[Pterodactyl]

48. Outrageous! Environmentalists would NEVER be involved with drugs.