Several foreign Greenpeace activists detained in Russia on hooliganism charges have been granted bail. They were arrested in September for trying to scale a state-owned offshore oil rig.<br /><br />Russian court rulings granted bail to: Sini Saarela from Finland; David Haussmann from New Zealand; Miguel Hernan Perez Orzi from Argentina; Paul D. Ruzycki from Canada; Camila Speziale from Argentina; Tomasz Dziemianczuk from Poland; Francesco Pisanu from France; Christian D’Alessandro from Italy and Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel from Brazil.<br /><br />Bail was set at 2 million rubles (approximately 45,000 euros).<br /><br />Greenpeace welcomed the decision, but stressed that the organisation believed the activists should not have been locked up in the first place.<br /><br />Sergei Golubok, lawyer for Greenpeace, told reporters: “We think there should be no criminal case in principle. But the court wasn’t looking into that question today – it was looking at pre-trial detention. Considering our current situation, any measure except detention is more reasonable.”<br /><br />Greenpeace said that it would make the bail payments as soon as possible, but emphasised that the activists remained charged and were facing up to seven years in jail.
