Paul McCartney Writes Putin Plea to Free Greenpeace Activists; How Can You Say No to an Ex-Beatle? Already Said No on Pussy Riot (Video)

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, a long-time activist for environmental rights, wrote Russian President Vladimir Putin a plea to free Greenpeace activists.

Who could say no to an ex-Beatle? Putin's already turned a deaf ear to the musical McCartney's request to free Pussy Riot.

Paul McCartney took the time out from promoting his album "New" to write a letter asking President Vladimir Putin to help secue the release of a group of Greenpeace activists that were being detained in Russia.

The activists face seven years in jail for staging a protest against Arctic oil drilling. 28 Greenpeace activists and two others are charged. One of the charges is that they tried to board a Russian vessel. McCartney says the protesters are not anti-Russian. He also said the protest and the protesters were not violent.

The state says the Greenpeace activists also to face additional charges. McCartney is joined by the Dutch Government who have asked a sea tribunal to free the protesters. Russia leveled its own charges at the Dutch during a visit by their king.

The Prirazlomnaya oil rig owned by Russia's energy company Gazprom. The activists face 30 charges charges of hooliganism. Russia has dropped piracy charges. The Netherlands asked an international sea tribunal to help the release the Greenpeace activists.

Earlier this year, McCartney asked for leniency in charges against Pussy Riot for performing "punk prayer" in Moscow's main cathedral

On his website, https://www.paulmccartney.com/, Paul McCartney wrote "Dear Vladimir,

I hope this letter finds you well. It is now more than ten years since I played in Red Square, but I still often think about Russia and the Russian people.

I am writing to you about the 28 Greenpeace activists and two journalists being held in Murmansk. I hope you will not object to me bringing up their case.

I hear from my Russian friends that the protesters are being portrayed in some quarters as being anti-Russian, that they were doing the bidding of western governments, and that they threatened the safety of the people working on that Arctic oil platform.

I am writing to assure you that the Greenpeace I know is most certainly not an anti-Russian organisation. In my experience they tend to annoy every government! And they never take money from any government or corporation anywhere in the world.

And above all else they are peaceful. In my experience, non-violence is an essential part of who they are.

I see you yourself have said that they are not pirates - well, that's something everybody can agree on. Just as importantly, they don't think they are above the law. They say they are willing to answer for what they actually did, so could there be a way out of this, one that benefits everybody?

Vladimir, millions of people in dozens of countries would be hugely grateful if you were to intervene to bring about an end to this affair. I understand of course that the Russian courts and the Russian Presidency are separate. Nevertheless I wonder if you may be able to use whatever influence you have to reunite the detainees with their families?

Forty-five years ago I wrote a song about Russia for the White Album, back when it wasn't fashionable for English people to say nice things about your country. That song had one of my favourite Beatles lines in it: "Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it's good to be back home."

Could you make that come true for the Greenpeace prisoners?

I hope, when our schedules allow, we can meet up again soon in Moscow.

Sincerely yours,

Paul McCartney"