ST. PETERSBURG. Nov 22 (Interfax) - The Russian authorities are not interfering in the criminal proceedings regarding Greenpeace activists following the protest near the Prirazlomnaya platform, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"I want to assure you that the Russian political authorities have no wish to interfere in this process intentionally. Certain legal procedures exist. We are unable to interfere in the legal part of this case," Putin said at a news conference following talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan held on Friday.
The actions of Greenpeace environmentalists, who attempted to climb the oil platform in the Arctic, posed a threat to lives of people working there, Putin said on November 21 when speaking at the Russian literature assembly meeting in Moscow.
The state should not be cruel but it should make sure that everyone follows certain rules, the president said. At the same time, the state should be lenient, he said.