Family urge Australia to do more for activist in Russia
Sydney (AFP) - The family of an Australian man imprisoned in Russia for two months over an Arctic protest on Tuesday urged the government to step up diplomatic efforts after his detention was extended.
Colin Russell was one of the so-called 'Arctic 30' Greenpeace activists and reporters arrested in September after their ship was seized at gunpoint by Russian security forces following their open-sea protest against Arctic oil drilling.
But while a Saint Petersburg court on Monday freed on bail a Russian doctor and a photographer who had been on board Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise icebreaker, Russell's pre-trial detention was extended by three months until February 24.
His wife Christine, who watched the proceedings via a live stream, said she was disappointed that Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had not made more representations on the case.
"Given that David Cameron from the UK has recently spoken to President Putin, the French PM has made direct contact with President Putin and Prime Minister Medvedev ... I would like to see a higher level of diplomatic intervention from Minister Bishop," she told reporters in Canberra.
While pleased for the activists granted bail, she said it was "absurd" that her husband remained detained after 63 days, adding that he appeared haggard, tired and had lost weight.
She said her husband had said conditions were better since he was moved to a Saint Petersburg prison, but this was "of cold comfort to me -- he shouldn't be in prison".
Russell's daughter Madeleine said it had been bittersweet to watch her father in court, given the family had hardly had contact with the 59-year-old from Tasmania for months.
"During the hearing he said, 'I love you all, I love everybody and I am not a criminal by any stretch of the imagination,'" she said.
The Arctic 30 were initially charged with piracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years but the charges were later changed to hooliganism, which carries a punishment of up to seven years.
Greenpeace has called the case against the 28 activists and two reporters a "circus" while stars including Madonna and Paul McCartney, as well as politicians such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have urged their release.
Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie said Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott had been "strangely silent" on the case.
"Conservative leader David Cameron has already picked up the phone and spoken to Vladimir Putin personally," he said.
"The Dutch government, the French government, other governments have done the right thing by the Arctic 30 but our government is strangely silent, and that is completely unacceptable."
