The trial began Tuesday in Cadiz, Spain, of five activists from environmental group Greenpeace charged in connection with a protest two years ago against the Iraq war, dpa reported. The Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior" had in March 2003 staged a protest off the U.S. Navy base at Rota in southern Spain, blocking U.S. vessels en route to Iraq. The activists face charges including resisting state authority and causing injury. Prosecutors have called for the ship's captain, Italian-Argentinian Daniel Rizzotti, to be sentenced to four years in jail. Two co-defendants, a New Zealand national and a Spaniard, are facing three-year sentences, while a U.S. national and a Spanish female face charges of nine months each. Defence lawyers have demanded the release of all five saying. "Like thousands of others across the world they had engaged in a peaceful protest against an illegal war", dpa quoted them as saying. -- SP 0000 Local Time 2100 GMT
