Piracy charges against jailed Greenpeace activists in Russia have been dropped and they have been charged with hooliganism instead.
Piracy is punishable by a prison term of up to 15 years in prison. Hooliganism charges can carry up to seven years in prison.
The Investigative Committee’s statement follows a comment by President Vladimir Putin, who said last month that he doesn’t think that the Greenpeace activists were pirates.
A group of 28 Greenpeace activists, a Russian photographer and a British videographer have been held since their ship, the Arctic Sunrise was seized by the Russian coast guard after protesting outside a Gazprom-owned oil rig on September 18.
A total of six Britons are being held.
There was no immediate comment from the Greenpeace organisation on the latest move by Russian investigators.
