In January 2012 Frank Hewetson and I raced in Hampstead Heath.
50 yards.
The Greenpeace activist leader beat me by a foot.
“Barely.” I crowed, since Frank was 42 to my 59.
“But I spent the last two months in a Greenland prison.” He had been arrested by Danish police for storming onto an Arctic oil rig. “24 hour sun with sullen Inuit convicts.”
“No excuse.” We had started at the same point.
Unfortunately Frank has once more been arrested along with 29 other Greenpeace members charged with piracy.
This time by Russian authorities.
I’m good friends with his wife.
“Frank is an environmental activist trying, on behalf of us all, to defend the Arctic from exploitation by the oil companies through peaceful non violent protest. His children and I are very concerned for him but know that he will be cheered by the support of millions of people worldwide which is bringing the destruction of the Arctic to international attention.”
Frank’s a good man, but the Russians don’t like anyone stepping on their toes, so the pirates have been imprisoned above the Arctic Circle in Murmansk. Winter is close. The Zeks in the prison like fresh meat. Numerous celebrities such as Jude Law, Paul Simenon of the Clash, and fashion designer Vivian Westwood have protested in front of the Russian embassy for the release of the arrestees.
please go to this URL to sign the freedom petition.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/05/greenpeace-demonstration_n_4049131.html?just_reloaded=1
We thank you.