MOSCOW. Nov 12 (Interfax) - The Greenpeace activists accused of assaulting Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya oil rig in the Arctic have been placed in remand centers in St. Petersburg, the regional branch of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Institutions Service said in a press release seen by Interfax on Tuesday.
"All the 30 suspects in the criminal case opened into the attack on the Prirazlomnaya platform in the Barents Sea have arrived at pre-trial detention facilities of St. Petersburg," it said.
No complaints have been received from the Greenpeace activists, it said.
A train from Murmansk with 30 arrested Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise activists onboard arrived at the St. Petersburg Ladozhsky terminal.
The Arctic Sunrise vessel of the Greenpeace international nature conservancy organization was detained in the Pechora Sea on September 19 for an attempt to stage a protest against the drilling done by the Prirazlomnaya oil platform. The coast guard escorted the Arctic Sunrise to Murmansk on September 24. It had a multinational crew of 30, including four Russians.
The Russian Investigative Committee's department in the Northwestern Federal District opened a criminal case under Part 3, Article 227 of the Russian Criminal Code (an act of maritime piracy committed by an organized group). Hooliganism charges were later brought against the activists. Each of the 30 Greenpeace activists was placed under arrest. They were transferred from the Murmansk detention facility to St. Petersburg by train on Monday.
An examination of the ship anchored in the Kola Bay began on September 28. The Russian Investigative Committee said that the Murmansk Leninsky District Court issued the search warrant. The ship was searched in the presence of captain Peter Henry Willcox and his lawyer. The detectives reportedly found drugs and equipment, "which might have had some use other than environmental."
The ship was impounded by investigators. It is now anchored in the Murmansk port.