UPDATE: 12.52PM

The Russian parliament have passed the amnesty bill which will see that Arctic 30 activists, including Newport's Anthony Perrett set free, Greenpeace have said.

 

A VOTE in the Russian Parliament which could free a Newport man and 29 other people held in the country held on hooliganism charges since September is being held at midday.

An amnesty bill for people convicted of hooliganism and rioting proposed by President Putin will have its third reading in the Duma this afternoon.

President Putin's proposal is for people convicted of hooliganism and rioting, but influential members of the Duma have pushed for it to go further and include people who have only been charged with hooliganism and rioting.

If the amnesty bill is passed, the Arctic 30, including Anthony Perrett, 32, will be released.

Greenpeace said it was “extremely likely” that the bill be will be passed, meaning the Arctic 30 will be released.

This would include the 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists who were arrested after they protested on a Gazprom-owned oil rig in the Arctic.

Alexander Remezkov, a deputy from the ruling United Russia party, told the Duma yesterday that he supported extending the amnesty to people charged but not yet convicted of hooliganism and rioting. He is the deputy head of the Duma’s legislation committee, which is responsible for the bill.

Mr Perrett, 32, was the first Briton from the group to be freed on bail by Russian authorities on November 22.

He has been unable to leave Russia since then and still faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

He is a tree surgeon and has served as a town councillor in Caldicot.

When he was released on bail, he said he would “absolutely” carry out the protest again.

He said then: “It’s good to be out. I don’t look on it as a massive victory. The mission we were here to do was to save the Arctic. We’re no closer to that.”