Greenpeace Arctic 30 detainees head home from Russia
Anthony Perrett says the protest in Russia has been worth it Five British Greenpeace activists and one Canadian have left Russia after being granted an amnesty from charges over an Arctic oil drilling protest.
Anthony Perrett, one of the six, said he was looking forward to returning to Wales after 100 days in Russia.
He told the BBC the protest had been worth it, but described being held in "concentration camp conditions".
The six were among 30 people held on hooliganism charges and were released under a new Russian amnesty law.
Mr Perrett was travelling back to the UK with fellow Greenpeace activists Alexandra Harris and Phil Ball, crew member Iain Rogers and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan.
Canadian Alexandre Paul was also expected to arrive in Montreal later on Friday.
Seven of the so-called Arctic 30 group arrested in September during action at an offshore oil rig owned by the Russian company Gazprom have now left Russia.
Grim surroundings"It's been a very long 100 days. I'm quite eager to get back to Wales and sleep in my own bed and get back to work," Mr Perrett told Radio 4's Today programme before boarding a flight in Saint Petersburg.
He said he had been treated well in Russia despite grim surroundings.
"We weren't treated like prisoners of war. It had very much the razor wire and the barbed wire and the the reinforcing bar which made up cages. It had the aesthetic of a concentration camp."
Mr Perrett, 32, of Newport, south Wales, added that he would be happy to return to Russia to carry out further protests, although Greenpeace currently had no plans for further action there," he said.
"I hope we've got the conversation started in Russia about the drilling in the Arctic and raised it with the Russian voters.
"It was definitely worth it. Unless humanity starts acting as one people on this planet we're going to irrevocably change the climate and make it unliveable on this planet for everybody."
Greenpeace said all but the four Russian members of the Arctic 30 are expected to leave the country over the coming days.
"All 30 have since had the case against them dropped after the Russian parliament approved an amnesty decree last week," the environmental campaign group said.
"The 30 benefited from the amnesty without admitting any guilt."
The release and return of the detainees was welcomed by the UK's Minister for Europe, David Lidington.
He said: "I am delighted that the British nationals have been allowed to return to their families and friends. This is a welcome step from the Russian government."
However he said there were still concerns over Russia's legal system.
"The British Government continues to call on the Russian authorities to strengthen the rule of law, tackle corruption and promote independence of the judiciary."
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