01/15 BNFL Case Against Enviros Dismissed

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> MAGISTRATE RAISES DOUBT ABOUT LEGALITY OF BNFL'S 
SELLAFIELD PLANT AS CASE AGAINST GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS IS 
DISMISSED.
 
UK, January 15, 1996 (GP) Ten Greenpeace activists have been
cleared of  aggravated trespass at Keswick  Magistrates Court,
Cumbria, for invading Sellafield  last April, after BNFL failed
to  establish that its activities are lawful.
 
The ten activists  - six Swiss, one Italian and three British -
entered the Sellafield site  on 17th April 1995 and chained
themselves to railway lines as part of a protest against 
the production of plutonium  and  the UK's non-compliance with 
the Non  Proliferation Treaty.  In total almost 200 people
entered Sellafield as part of this  protest. 
 
BNFL claimed that the action by the ten activists prevented the
movement of  a  nuclear waste fuel flask from B560 (part of the
THORP complex) for eight hours. In  order for the magistrate to
uphold the charge of aggravated trespass the prosecution 
had to convince the magistrate that BNFL's activities were
lawful.    
 
 The Magistrate stated that he "Cannot be satisfied beyond
reasonable doubt that the  operation was lawful" He also stated
that there were "Gross and obvious breaches of  the completion of
the quality plan" (safety document). The Magistrate also
concluded  that charges that the activists had "disrupted"
activities under the new Criminal Justice  Act could not be
upheld. The prosecution could have more successfully charged them
with obstruction, he added. 
 
Bridget Woodman stated, "The legality of BNFL's Sellafield site
is now in question,  not the legality of Greenpeace direct
action.  It's a shocking indictment that BNFL  were unable to

prove that they operate Sellafield legally."   The more
information please call the Greenpeace Press Office on:- 
0171 359 4837 or 0171 359 4837 or 0802 754934
 
Note:
 
Those acquitted were:- Markus Egli, Barbara Saladin, Hans Blaser,
Reto Gerber,  Martin Winter, Michele Passauer (all Swiss), Fanny
Calder, Madeleine Cobbing, Julia 
Allen-Miles (all British), Paolo Vaccari (Italian)
 

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