Russia charges 18 Greenpeace activists with piracy

Russian Investigative Committee has filed piracy charges against 18 of 30 Greenpeace activists who were detained for two months. Fourteen activists were charged on Wednesday and four more on Thursday, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Greenpeace's press service as saying. "The others are still staying at the investigation department. All arrestees are provided with lawyers and interpreters," it said. The activists had attempted to stage a protest on Sept.18-19 against oil extraction on the Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the northern Pechora Sea in Russia's exclusive economic zone. But they were detained by Russian authorities before they could carry out the protest. Greenpeace lawyers have appealed all the indictments, the Interfax news agency quoted the court's spokeswoman Irina Berezina as saying.