[11] Nobel peace laureates urge Putin to free Greenpeace activists

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Eleven Nobel prize-winners have written to Vladimir Putin asking the Russian president to drop charges against 30 Greenpeace activists and journalists.

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The Greenpeace activists, who complain of being detained in harsh conditions, face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

So far all bail applications in the case have been refused.

The Netherlands has launched legal action to try to free the activists and the ship, and more than 1.4m people have joined a Greenpeace campaign demanding their release.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24570492

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Eleven Nobel Peace Prize winners write to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Greenpeace case

Press release - October 17, 2013

Amsterdam, 17th October 2013 - Eleven Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu have written a joint letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin offering their support to twenty eight Greenpeace International activists, a freelance photographer and a freelance filmmaker who are being detained in a Russian prison whilst they are investigated for allegations of piracy.

In their letter, the award winners urge President Putin “to do all you can to ensure that the excessive charges of piracy against the 28 Greenpeace activists, freelance photographer and freelance videographer are dropped, and that any charges brought are consistent with international and Russian law.”

Describing the Arctic as a “precious treasure of humanity,” the signatories are all supporting efforts to protect the High North from oil exploration and climate change.

They write, “Arctic oil drilling is a dangerous, high-risk enterprise. An oil spill under these icy waters would have a catastrophic impact on one of the most pristine, unique and beautiful landscapes on Earth. The impact of a spill on communities living in the Arctic, and on already vulnerable animal species, would be devastating and long lasting. The risks of such an accident are ever present, and the oil industry’s response plans remain wholly inadequate. Equally important is the contribution of Arctic oil drilling to climate change. Climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere threatens all of us, but it is the world’s most vulnerable who are paying the price for developed countries’ failure to act.”

The full list of peace laureates who signed the letter are:

- South African Bishop Desmond Tutu

- Northern Irish peace campaigner Betty Williams

- Former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sanchez

- US peace campaigner Jody Williams

- Liberian peace campaigner Leymah Gbowee

- Yemeni peace campaigner Tawakkol Karman

- Guatemalan social reformist Rigoberta Menchu Tum

- Northern Irish peace activist Mairead Maguire

- Iranian lawyer and former judge Shirin Ebadi

- Former President of East Timor Jose Ramos Horta

- Argentine community organiser Adolfo Perez Esquive

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A copy of the full letter is below:

Dear President Putin,

RE: Drop piracy charges & immediately release the “Arctic 30”

We are writing to ask you to do all you can to ensure that the excessive charges of piracy against the 28 Greenpeace activists, freelance photographer and freelance videographer are dropped, and that any charges brought are consistent with international and Russian law. We are confident that you share our desire to respect the right to nonviolent protest.

As you know, Russian authorities have detained 30 members of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise crew since September 19 when armed Russian authorities boarded the vessel in the Pechora Sea. The crew—which includes Russians and numerous other nationalities—had been engaged in a peaceful, nonviolent protest.

We were heartened by your statement, on September 25th, that you did not believe the Greenpeace crew members were pirates. As you know, the Greenpeace activists were unarmed and used only peaceful means to demonstrate their opposition to the oil drilling operations threatening the Arctic.

Arctic oil drilling is a dangerous, high-risk enterprise. An oil spill under these icy waters would have a catastrophic impact on one of the most pristine, unique and beautiful landscapes on earth. The impact of a spill on communities living in the Arctic, and on already vulnerable animal species, would be devastating and long lasting. The risks of such an accident are ever present, and the oil industry’s response plans remain wholly inadequate.

Equally important is the contribution of Arctic oil drilling to climate change. Climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere threatens all of us, but it is the world’s most vulnerable who are paying the price for developed countries’ failure to act. Now is the time to accelerate our transition away from fossil fuels and move towards a future built on safe, clean and renewable energy.

We urge all states to do their utmost to protect this precious treasure of humanity, while moving beyond a dependency on oil as an energy source. As one of the countries most directly concerned, we call on you to personally lead that effort.

We, like millions of people around the world, are watching this case, eager to see Russian authorities drop the piracy charges, treat the “Arctic 30” in accordance with international law, reaffirm the right to nonviolent protest, and rededicate efforts to protect the Arctic.



Sincerely,



Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate (1976) — Northern Ireland

Betty Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate (1976) — Northern Ireland

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Laureate (1980) — Argentina

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate (1984) — South Africa

Oscar Arias Sánchez, Nobel Peace Laureate (1987) - Costa Rica

Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Laureate (1992) — Guatemala

José Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate (1996) — East Timor

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate (1997) — USA

Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate (2003) — Iran

Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Laureate (2011) — Yemen

Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate (2011) — Liberia

From: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Eleven-Nobel-Peace-Prize-winners-write-to-Russian-President-Vladimir-Putin-over-Greenpeace-case/

[Miranda4peace]

1. Piracy?!?!?!wtf?

Common heritage? I thought the Arctic was agreed to be Common Heritage, therefore unless you can get a majority of Humans to agree on drilling IT IS ILLEGAL! Right?

[bananas]

2. The arctic isn't protected like the antarctic

There's an antarctic treaty but not an arctic treaty.
Greenpeace wants an arctic treaty too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Arctic

Save the Arctic

Save the Arctic is a Greenpeace campaign to protect the Arctic, principally by preventing oil drilling and industrial fishing in the area completely, surrounded by an Arctic-Environmental economics-Zone.[1] The campaign, begun in 2012, calls for a sanctuary in the Arctic region, similar to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.[2] The campaign aims to begin this process by prompting a United Nations resolution on protection for the Arctic.[3]

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[bananas]

3. Important story - thanks for posting - k&r. nt