Russia accuses Greenpeace of piracy

Russia has charged Greenpeace activists who tried to board a state-owned offshore drilling platform in the Arctic with piracy.

The 30 activists are on a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, being towed toward the port city of Murmansk by the Russian Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard stormed the ship last week after the activists tried to climb aboard the platform to protest over oil drilling in Arctic waters and call attention to the environmental risks.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s federal investigative agency, said that it had opened a case on piracy charges, which carry a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 500,000 roubles (about €11,265).

Greenpeace insists that Russia had no right to board the ship.