First Greenpeace activist allowed to leave Russia
Last edited Thu Dec 26, 2013, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: Yahoo News / AP
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Greenpeace says authorities have issued an exit visa to the first of its 30 ship crew members that allows him to leave Russia.
The 30 people were arrested in September following a protest outside a Russian oil rig in the Arctic and spent two months in jail before they were granted bail in November.
Hooliganism charges against the crew were later dropped after Russia's parliament passed an amnesty law that was seen as an attempt by the Kremlin's to assuage the criticism of Russia's human rights record before the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.
Greenpeace said Anthony Perrett of Britain was the first to get the visa in his passport Thursday.
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/first-greenpeace-activist-allowed-leave-russia-104128196.html;_ylt=A0oG7iSJIrxSXV8AJnJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0Nm5ydHE0BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1ZJUDM1OF8x
Russia Pardons Arctic Sunrise Crew, Issues Exit Visas.
ST. PETERSBURG, December 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has started issuing exit visas for the crew members of a Greenpeace protest ship after dropping legal cases against all of them, the environmental organization said on Thursday.
The charges were dropped as part of a broad prison amnesty approved by state lawmakers earlier this month to mark the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution.
“The last Arctic 30 member, Cristian d’Alessandro, was notified that charges against him were dropped as part of the amnesty,” Greenpeace Russia spokeswoman Maria Favorskaya said. “He will request a visa within the next few hours.”
Greenpeace said on its Twitter page that one of the activists, Anthony Perrett, had already received an exit visa after being pardoned on Tuesday.
http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131226/185945592/Russia-Pardons-Arctic-Sunrise-Crew-Issues-Exit-Visas.html
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