Russia Grants Bail for More Greenpeace Activists

Two district courts in St. Petersburg granted bail Tuesday to several more Greenpeace activists awaiting trial.

Nine activists, including nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Italy, New Zealand and Poland, can leave their detention facilities after they have posted bail of 2 million rubles (USD 61,500) each, the courts ruled, according to RIA Novosti.

A total of 28 Greenpeace activists and two reporters were initially charged with piracy for attempting in September to scale an Arctic Sea oil platform owned by an affiliate of energy giant Gazprom in protest at offshore drilling in the environmentally sensitive area.

That charge was later downgraded to hooliganism, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of seven years in jail, RIA Novosti reminds.

Another three members of the group were granted bail Monday at another court in St. Petersburg. The environmental group said earlier in the day that it has already raised the funds to pay the bail.

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