Russia is considering new charges against the Greenpeace members it is holding over an Arctic oil rig protest.
The 29 Greenpeace activists and a freelance Russian journalist have been charged with piracy. The charge carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
A spokesman for Russia’s Investigative Committee said that “dual-use equipment” and drugs were also found on the Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise, and it was expecting to charge several people with more “grave crimes” once it had established their role in the protest.
He said that investigators are trying to identify the people whose inflated boats were standing in the way of Russian coastguards, thus “threatening life and safety of an official,” a grave offence in Russia.
The head of Greenpeace International has written to Russian president Vladimir Putin requesting a meeting in Moscow – and offering himself as human bail for the detainees.
Kumi Naidoo, of the Amsterdam-based organisation, delivered the letter to the Russian embassy in The Hague, saying he would guarantee the activists’ good conduct but that piracy charges do not make sense and should be dropped.
Greenpeace said it was surprised at the possibility of further charges against members of the 30-strong group, stating that the suggestion of drugs on board the vessel was designed to “deflect attention from the growing global outrage over the continued imprisonment of the detainees”.
A spokesman said: “We can only assume the Russian authorities are referring to the medical supplies that our ships are obliged to carry under maritime law.
“Any claim that illegal drugs were found is a smear, it’s a fabrication, pure and simple.
“There is a strict policy against recreational drugs on board Greenpeace ships, and any claim that something other than medical supplies were found should be regarded with great suspicion.
“The ship had on board a fully qualified doctor with over 10 years’ experience in Russian hospitals.”
The Arctic Sunrise was seized by the Russian coastguard after a protest outside a Gazprom-owned oil rig on September 18.
Politicians have demanded the immediate release of a British man who has been detained.
Kieron Bryan, 32-year-old freelance videographer, has had very limited contact with his family since being one of the six Britons to be detained.