Greenpeace activists face up to five years in prison over 2021 gas ship blockade

Eight Greenpeace activists from eight nations participated in a 12-hour blockade of a fossil-gas carrier at the port of Sagunto in 2021 and are now standing trial for aggravated public disorder, with the prosecution requesting up to five years of imprisonment. The activists maintain they did nothing illegal and would repeat the action if needed. Greenpeace frames the case as part of an expanding pattern of repression, citing over 30 activists involved in legal proceedings since 2020.

Academic research highlights the use of new anti-protest legislation, selective application of existing laws, and intensified police pressure to criminalise environmental dissent in Spain and Germany. The defendants claim that police statements have overstated the incident, leading to harsher charges. International observers, including a UN human-rights rapporteur, have warned that such legal tactics threaten peaceful climate activism.