MOSCOW – Greenpeace has confirmed that two Canadians are among several activists and crew members arrested in the high Arctic after armed Russian Coast Guard officials boarded their ship.
The environmentalist group said Thursday that the armed men boarded the vessel the Arctic Sunrise and held the crew at gunpoint.
The incident apparently took place in international waters near Gazprom’s arctic oil drilling operations, where Greenpeace has been protesting oil drilling,
According to Greenpeace, two Canadian men: a 35-year-old permanent member of the Arctic Sunset crew from Montreal, and Chief Mate Paul Ruzycki from Port Colbourne, Ont., were among 25 crew members being detained.
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The Greenpeace ship is in the Pechora Sea, an arm of the Barents Sea.
It said Coast Guard officials used a helicopter and ropes to board the vessel.
Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Canada Arctic campaign coordinator, was on board the Arctic Sunrise in the Russian Arctic earlier this month, and met with Russian Coast Guard agents when the ship was illegally boarded at that time.
“I’ve seen first hand the lengths the Russian authorities will go to protect the interests of the oil industry,” she said in a statement.
“What’s happening on the Arctic Sunrise right now is not only terrifying, it is illegal under international law.”
– With files from The Canadian Press
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