American Peter Willcox appeared this morning before a court
in Murmansk. He was the captain of the Arctic Sunrise when it was seized last
month by armed men from the Russian security forces. He was also the captain of
the Rainbow Warrior in 1985 when it was bombed by the French secret service,
killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira.
Another Greenpeace International activist refused bail today
(Monday) was Camila Speziale, who has joint Argentinian and Italian
citizenship. The bail hearings for Italian Cristian D’Alessandro and David
Haussmann from New Zealand are expected to be resolved later today.
Commenting on the latest developments Peter Willcox’s wife
Maggie Willcox said:
“Most people try to do at least something for the greater
good, sometimes occasionally, sometimes for sustained periods. Rarely do people
devote their entire life trying to make the world a better place. Peter is one
of those rare people. He is a hero not a pirate. I appeal to the common sense
and conscience of the Russian authorities to let my husband and the rest of the
people from the Arctic Sunrise come home.”
Following the seizure of his ship last month, Willcox
refused a demand made under armed guard by Russian authorities to sail the
Arctic Sunrise toward the Russian port city of Murmansk. Instead the ship was
towed. In a 1993 Hollywood film about the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, the
role of Peter Willcox was played by Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight – father of
Angelina Jolie.
Speaking in court today Camila Speziale, 21, from Argentina
said today:
“I’m innocent and I do not understand what I’m accused of. I
don’t have anything against your country. Russia and Argentina have good
relations. But now I’m arrested for something I haven’t done. I really want to
come back to my country and continue working and studying. I’m considered to be
dangerous for society, but how it can be so? The whole world is demanding my
release. Gracias.”
Camila was wearing a t-shirt that her parents have sent her,
on which are printed the hands and names of the Speziale family.
In a letter published on Sunday, Swiss activist Marco Weber
said although he was being held alone in a cell, and had little or no contact
with the outside world, apart from weekly visits by his lawyer and the Swiss
consul, he had no regrets. “I faced the danger and the risk, which brought me
here in this prison, because I’m convinced that we have the power to bring
change.” (Link to full letter below.)
In a letter to his family, Kieron Bryan, 29, a freelance
film-maker from London, said he was well, apart from the “horrible uncertainty
and anxiety”. In the letter, also published on Sunday, he said:
“The food is basic or grim but I’ll not starve… Lack of
communication has been really tough – I just hope my lawyer can get messages to
you.”
Today the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council is
expected to submit an appeal to the Prosecutor General of the Russian
Federation, Yuri Chaika, regarding the arrest of the 30. The head of the Human
Rights Council Mikhail Fedotov stated last week that charges of piracy against
the Greenpeace International crew, activists and two freelance journalists were
groundless and unlawful. Now the other members of the Council have supported
the initiative to appeal to the Prosecutor.
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