Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 23 October 2013 - Strasbourg

Detention of Greenpeace activists in Russia (debate)

  Thijs Berman (S&D), blue-card question. – Mr President, I have difficulty expressing my joy and emotion at seeing you back in our midst. I am so happy that you are in your seat, where you belong, as Peter van Dalen has also said.

The second thing is that news has just come through that the Russian authorities have dropped the charge of piracy and changed it to hooliganism, which carries a seven-year sentence.