Environmental consequences

The European Court of Human Rights Comminized the complaints of the crew of the icebreaker Arctic Sunrise and Greenpeace activists, the court website reported . They demand to recognize their detention and arrest after a peaceful action against oil production in the Pechora Sea in 2013.

The complaint was filed by 30 applicants from 17 countries. They ask the ECHR to recognize violations by the Russian authorities of articles 5 (the right to freedom and personal integrity) and 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The interests of the applicants are represented by Russian lawyer Sergei Golubok and his Dutch colleague Jasper Tölings.

The ECHR invites the Russian authorities to present their position on the case and answer several questions. In particular, the Strasbourg Court is interested in whether the applicants suspicion of the piracy act may be reasonable, taking into account the fact that the “Prirazlomnaya” platform is not a ship.

On September 19, 2013, Russian border guards detained the Arctic Sunrise. The reason for the detention was the action held by Greenpeace activists the day earlier at the Oil -Reinforcing Platform "Prirazlomnaya" in the Pechora Sea. Ecologists tried to climb the platform and hang on it a banner in defense of the Arctic. The investigation first regarded their actions as piracy . However, then the case was retrained for an article on hooliganism. At the end of November 2013, all the activists who were in custody from the moment of detention left the pre -trial detention center on bail .

In December of the same year, the case of hooliganism regarding environmental activists wasclosed in connection with a wide amnesty declared in the country . Soon after, 26 foreigners issued output visas. On December 26, the last of them left Russia. The ship Arctic Sunrise was arrested in Murmansk until the summer of 2014.

In March 2014, all 30 activists and crew members Arctic Sunrise filed complaints with the ECHR . In their opinion, the measures taken by the Russian authorities to suppress a peaceful protest were excessive and unjustified. "The power seizure of the vessel, the detention of all people on board, criminal charges were clearly disproportionate to the actions of activists and are aimed at suppressing freedom of expression," the Greenpeace report said.

On August 14, 2015, the Standing Chamber of the Arbitration Court in The Hague ordered Russia to pay compensation for the arrest of Arctic Sunrise. The court decision noted that Moscow had no reason to delay the icebreaker.

In August last year, the chamber announced the amount of compensation -almost 5 million 396 thousand euros . Over 1 million 695 thousand euros from Russia were recovered as a compensation for damage caused by the icebreaker. The Moscow was obliged to pay 600 thousand euros as compensation for intangible damage to the persons who were on the Arctic Sunrise for illegal detention, arrest and criminal prosecution. Material damage to these persons was estimated at almost 2 million 462 thousand euros. Russia is obliged to pay 13.5 thousand euros as a compensation for the costs of the Netherlands for the release of a bank guarantee in favor of Moscow for the release of the vessel. Finally, 625 thousand euros from Russia were recovered to compensate the Netherlands of legal costs in arbitration.