Environment
The Tassie man locked up by the Russians
Pic: Detained Greenpeace member Colin Russell Photo: Greenpeace
Environmental group Greenpeace says armed Russian officers have stormed its ship protesting oil exploration in the Arctic and detained all its crew in a locked room.
Activist Faiza Oulahsen called news agency AFP from Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise icebreaker and said the crew, which includes two employees from the organisation’s Australia arm, had been locked in the ship’s mess.
“Twenty-nine of us are being held in the same room,” Ms Oulahsen, 26, said.
She said between 10 and 12 officers apparently from Russian security services had boarded the ship.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific said two employees, radio officer Colin Russell, from Tasmania, and British-born Alex Harris, who works in the Sydney office, were onboard.
Mr Russell’s wife, Christine, says there was no inkling of trouble when she last spoke to him yesterday afternoon (AEST).
“Obviously they were aware of Russian coast guard were in the area but there were no sort of warnings that things would escalate,” Mrs Russell said.