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Greenpeace piracy?

ddt said:
Secondly, the Netherlands has taken the case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The case was already filed on 4 October. But today, the Netherlands has asked for provisional measures, which include the release of the ship as well as release of the crew.
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I'm not sure the LOS Tribunal will be particularly friendly to the concept of unauthorized approach and boarding of other vessels at sea for political purposes. The Law of the Sea seems to place a premium on things like the ability of a vessel's master to grant or refuse permission to board to all but government actors undertaking enforcement activity.
 
I'm not sure it is relevant any more as the Russians have reduced their charges to merely hooliganism.
The charges against activists who protested at a Gazprom oil platform off Russia's northern coast last month have been changed from piracy to hooliganism, the federal Investigative Committee said in a statement.
...
Moscow says the environmental protesters violated a security zone around Prirazlomnaya, which is Russia's first offshore oil platform in the Arctic and is scheduled to begin production by the end of the year after delays.
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As I suspected back in post #121

Not that the Russians seem to give a toss about the International Tribunal.
"The Russian side has informed the Netherlands and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea... that it does not intend to take part in the tribunal's hearings," the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted an unnamed Russian foreign ministry official as saying on Wednesday.
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The Russian foreign ministry official told RIA Novosti that Moscow had also informed The Hague "it does not accept" rulings issued by the arbitration court because they may contradict Russia's federal laws.
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EHocking said:
I'm not sure it is relevant any more as the Russians have reduced their charges to merely hooliganism.
The charges against activists who protested at a Gazprom oil platform off Russia's northern coast last month have been changed from piracy to hooliganism, the federal Investigative Committee said in a statement.
...
Moscow says the environmental protesters violated a security zone around Prirazlomnaya, which is Russia's first offshore oil platform in the Arctic and is scheduled to begin production by the end of the year after delays.
​
As I suspected back in post #121

Not that the Russians seem to give a toss about the International Tribunal.
"The Russian side has informed the Netherlands and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea... that it does not intend to take part in the tribunal's hearings," the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted an unnamed Russian foreign ministry official as saying on Wednesday.
...
The Russian foreign ministry official told RIA Novosti that Moscow had also informed The Hague "it does not accept" rulings issued by the arbitration court because they may contradict Russia's federal laws.
​
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I know I am mean and horrible, but that is extremely funny
 
Checkmite said:
I'm not sure the LOS Tribunal will be particularly friendly to the concept of unauthorized approach and boarding of other vessels at sea for political purposes. The Law of the Sea seems to place a premium on things like the ability of a vessel's master to grant or refuse permission to board to all but government actors undertaking enforcement activity.
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I frankly have no idea. It was (obviously) in the news here, and I thought I'd bring it to the attention of the posters here. Considering that the Netherlands bothers to start the procedure, I guess they see a fair chance. The Netherlands has no great track record in protecting its citizens abroad, IMHO, so I don't think it likely they do it for show. But in any case, the Tribunal will only hear one side of the story:
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/10/russia_will_not_accept_sea_tri.php:
Russia will not participate in the hearings about the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, news agency ANP reports on Wednesday, quoting Russian media agency Interfax.
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According to the BBC, Russia had opted out of the Tribunal in 1997.

Eddie Dane said:
On top of that, they've forced a diplomatic row between the Netherlands and Russia.
Which the Netherlands will publicly lose. Nuclear armed dictatorial bullies who control our energy supply completely trump small nations who only rely on legal principles and carefully worded letters.
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We'll see. That's not how international law should operate, of course. You're not suggesting that nuclear armed dictatorial bullies should be able to do anything with impunity, are you?

For the moment, though, Russia has already taken a peg down:
Russia has dropped piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists, replacing them with hooliganism charges, according to officials.

The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15. Greenpeace says it is still "wildly disproportionate"./
Eddie Dane said:
I hear prisons in Russia are carbon neutral. No heating.
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LOL.

ETA: beaten to it by EHocking...
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ddt said:
For the moment, though, Russia has already taken a peg down:
Russia has dropped piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists, replacing them with hooliganism charges, according to officials.

The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15. Greenpeace says it is still "wildly disproportionate".
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Wildly disproportionate compared to what? Hooliganism landed the Pussy Riot ladies in jail for a 2-year term for essentially extending their middle finger. I'm sure it feels wildly disproportionate after e.g. a minister my country's government made sure government-owned businesses don't even call for a police investigation in connection with Greenpeace attention-whoring activism, but they're in Russia now.
 
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cullennz said:
Japanese whaling isn't illegal
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According to a number of sources the Japanese have been using the "for study" excuse and others to over "fish" whales. Please feel free to give info if that is a lie and a calumny upon the Japanese.
 
fuelair said:
Just a sample that took under a minute to pull. I'm proving my end!! http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2013/02/27/3698925.htm
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That's certainly the most unbiased, fact-driven, unemotional, agenda-free summary of the situation from "Bob Brown [is] a Sea Shepherd Australia Board Member, Former Greens Party Leader and Former Australian Senator." :rolleyes:

There is already a thread on the Sea Shepherd's antics. Perhaps continue in this vein there, rather than derailing this thread?
 
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