The first of 30 Greenpeace activists arrested by Russia in an Arctic protest two months ago has been freed on bail, in a case that has drawn attention both to Russia's ambitions in the region and its hard line against dissent.
Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel walked out of a St. Petersburg pre-trial jail holding a sign reading "Save The Arctic". She did not make comments to journalists before getting into a car with her lawyer.
Dmitry Artamonov, a Greenpeace representative, said she is "now staying in a safe place," but he declined to give her location.
The 30 were arrested in September after a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, entered Arctic waters despite Russian warnings. Some of the activists tried to scale an offshore drilling platform owned by the state natural gas giant Gazprom.
The release of other detainees could moderate the criticism of Russia's hardline stance. Russian courts have granted bail this week to 17 of the detainees, but they have yet to be let out of jail. Hearings are scheduled for another 12.
Greenpeace contends Arctic drilling poses potentially catastrophic environmental dangers. But Russia bristles at criticism of its oil and gas industry, which is the backbone of the country's economy.
