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Ukraine, Australia and UK condemned Russia over the “illegal” arrest of an Ukrainian scientist, who has been accused by Moscow of undermining Russia’s industrial trawling for krill in Antarctica. Ukrainian biologist Leonid Pshenichnov (70) has done made significant contributions to scientific research and conservation, including support for marine protected areas in the region. According to The Guardian, the scientist was preparing to travel to Australia to attend a conference on protecting Antarctic marine life when he was arrested in the Russian-occupied territory of Crimea. He has since been accused by the Russians of high treason. According to a document by the Russian authorities to Pshenichnov’s lawyers, the scientist has been called a “citizen of the Russian Federation” who “defected to the enemy’s side” by assisting Ukraine’s delegation to the Antarctic conference, organised by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Tasmania. Russia also accused the scientist of using his research to undermine Russia’s fishing of krill in Antarctica by encouraging, via a Ukrainian proposal, the restriction of krill harvesting. Such proposals would harm the economic interests of Russia, The Guardian reported. Following the arrest, Australia condemned the incident and said it was “gravely concerned”. The UK urged Moscow to release “all arbitrarily detained civilians”. The Guardian quoted Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, as saying: “He’s a scientist, not an official, not a politician. These are trumped-up charges, his detention is groundless.” While calling for members of the commission to condemn Russia’s actions, he said: “Is it acceptable for the CCAMLR community to stand by while a Ukrainian biologist, who has devoted his life to the study, conservation and rational use of Antarctic marine living resources, faces persecution and imprisonment by Russia?” “He was forced to take up a Russian passport while staying with family in temporarily occupied Crimea and has been arbitrarily charged with ‘threatening the security of the Russian Federation’,” he added.
