Court Dismisses Case Against Russian Oil Tanker Crew
A Helsinki court yesterday dismissed a case against three members of a ship from Russia’s “shadow fleet” suspected of cutting Baltic Sea cables, saying it was beyond its jurisdiction.
The captain and two officers of the Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S were accused of dragging the anchor on the seabed for about 90km, damaging five undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland on December 25 last year. The EstLink 2 power cable and four telecommunications cables connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged in the incident.
The case against captain Davit Vadatchkoria and senior officers Robert Egizaryan and Santosh Kumar Chaurasia was brought by Finnish prosecutors, who alleged that the trio had neglected their duties intentionally after leaving the Russian Port of Ust-Luga. The three were charged with “aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications.”
Prosecutors called for unconditional prison sentences of at least two-and-a-half years, saying that the trio “neglected to investigate the reason for the drop in speed and engine revolutions, even though it was clear that they were caused by an external force that was affecting the ship.” The defendants denied the charges, claiming that the cables were severed accidentally, and that the ship slowed down due to engine problems and rough weather conditions.
Jurisdictional Issues Cloud Case
The court’s decision to dismiss the case was based on its finding that Finland lacked jurisdiction over the incident. The defense argued that the cable cuts happened outside Finnish territorial waters, and that Finland did not have the authority to prosecute the crew.
Prosecutors countered that Finland had jurisdiction due to the risk posed to the country’s critical infrastructure. However, the court ultimately agreed with the defense, ruling that the anchor loss was due to a failure of the anchor securing mechanism and should be classified as an incident of navigation within the meaning of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Consequences of Cable Cuts
The cable cuts had significant consequences for Finland’s energy supply and telecommunications. The damaged cables disrupted power transmission between Finland and Estonia, causing widespread outages and affecting thousands of households.
Despite the dismissal of the case, the incident has raised concerns about the potential risks posed by Russia’s “shadow fleet” to Western countries. Many experts and political leaders have viewed the suspected sabotage as part of a “hybrid war” carried out by Russia against Western countries.
The incident highlights the need for increased vigilance and cooperation among nations to protect critical infrastructure from malicious attacks. As tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate, the case serves as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation in preventing and responding to such incidents.
Original Article: Court in Finland dismisses Baltic Sea cable cut case — Taipeitimes