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The rock musician Paul McCartney published an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to release Arctic Sunrise arrested on the icebreaker. The text of the document in English is posted on the website of the musician.

McCartney writes that, as he knows, “in some circles” in Russia, Greenpeace activists are considered enemies of the country. He refutes such an opinion. “Greenpeace, which I know, is, of course, no anti -Russian organization,” the letter says. “They annoy one or another government almost all the time! At the same time, they never take money from government or corporations anywhere in the world.”

The musician does not allow the thought that environmentalists in any way threatened the security of the Plazrazlomnaya platform workers. “First of all, these are completely peaceful people. I know for sure that the main principle that defines their whole lives is non -violence,” writes McCartney.

The author of the letter notes that Putin himself called the accusations of activists of piracy insistent. “And what is the most important: they don’t consider themselves above the law,” McCartney continues. “They agree to answer for what they actually committed. So there is really no problem that will benefit everything?”

The musician explains that he knows about the independence of Russian courts from the president. "And yet I wonder: could you use your influence, whatever it may be in order for the detainees to return to their families?" - writes McCartney.

The musician quotes his own song "Back in USSR", written 45 years ago, when, according to him, "it was not at all fashionable to say good things about your country." He quotes the lines "I have not been here for so long that I barely recognized this place. / How great it is - to return home!". "Could you make it come true for prisoners from Greenpeace?" - writes McCartney to Putin.

In conclusion, the musician expresses hope to meet again with his addressee in Moscow.

As they say on the McCartney website, he sent his letter exactly a month ago - October 14 - but still did not receive an answer. At the same time, the Russian ambassador to London, Alexander Yakovenko, remarked to the musician that the situation with the arrested eco -activists "is incorrectly illuminated in the world media."

“It would be great if this misunderstanding was resolved and the protesters returned to their families just for Christmas,” writes McCartney. “We live hope.”

On Tuesday, 30 arrested on Arctic Sunrise were delivered from Murmansk to St. Petersburg and distributed along the three pre -trial detention centers : No. 1 (“Crosses”), No. 4 and No. 5. On Thursday, after the quarantine, it should allow ecologists.