Two climate prisoners released but still facing charges

Climate activists Australian Natasha Verco and American citizen Noah Daniel Weiss were released from a Copenhagen prison but are still facing charges of attempted assault of a police officer and planning to disturb public order. Their case has been adjourned until March 16.

Related: Natasha Verco being interviewed on ABC radio

Natasha Verco denied the accusations that she assaulted a police officer and planned to disturb public order and insisted she was organising a peaceful event. She was picked up and arrested pre-emptively by the police.

"I participated in organising people to speak about climate change with youth delegates for the UN," she said.

"They say I organised riots and when we said that riots didn't happen, they said, 'No, you were charged with organising riots that were stopped by the good work of the police'.

"I wasn't at a protest. I wasn't on my way to a protest. I was riding along the side of the road.

"When I asked them what was going on (and) were they just picking up anybody who was wearing black clothes - I had a black jacket on and some black pants - they said, 'no we've been hunting you'."

Prisoner support and legal aid report there are still seven foreign persons detained in relation to the climate summit. It has not been possible to confirm this figure with the police.

Among those who remain behind bars, include the Italian Luca Tornatore, an astro-physicist and staff member at the University of Trieste, who was a spokesman for the Italian climate campaign group 'See You in Copenhagen'. There have been several demonstrations of solidarity in Italy, calling for his immediate release. Danish consulates in several Italian cities have been filled, a petition has been started, and his case was raised in parliament.

Sources:

• ABC News, Jan 5, 2009 - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/05/2785409.htm
• Modkraft: Climate prisoners: Danish democracy is a play (translated title)