Captain Held in UK Over ‘Russia Shadow Fleet’ Case: Wife Speaks Out
The vessel had left Russia’s Ust-Luga port on June 5 and was sailing towards Egypt’s Port Said, according to MarineTraffic. It was carrying roughly 98,000 tonnes of oil when British forces intercepted it.
MV Smyrtos, the oil tanker that was captained by Pant, was stopped on June 14 in an operation involving British commandos who descended from a helicopter onto the vessel. The mission was the first of its kind led by Britain and was described by then-prime minister Keir Starmer as a “blow to Russia”.
The merchant navy officer from Uttarakhand’s Nainital is accused of breaching sanctions and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Captain’s Wife Defends Husband, Accuses Him of Being “Scapegoat”
“My husband was made the scapegoat,” Ritu Pant said, defending her husband, Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of an oil tanker seized by British commandos in the English Channel.
Pant, who was the vessel’s captain, is accused of having knowledge of the cargo. Prosecutors have described him as the “master of the ship” and argued that his awareness of the cargo is central to the sanctions case.
His wife, however, said a captain’s job is primarily to ensure that the cargo reaches its destination safely. “The master’s responsibility in any vessel is to just get the cargo safely to its destination,” she said, AFP reported.
Captain’s Defence: He Was Following Instructions from Vessel’s Owner
His defence has argued that he was acting on instructions from the vessel’s owner and had no role in determining the commercial arrangements surrounding the cargo.
Wife says ‘he was broken, crying’ Pant has remained in British custody after being denied bail. For his family back in India, the circumstances of his arrest have been difficult to comprehend.
Ritu said her husband sounded devastated when she first spoke to him after his arrest. “He was broken and he was just crying,” she said.
“He didn’t know what had happened to him… He just said, ‘I am in jail, please take me out’,” she was quoted as saying by AFP.
Case Presents Complex Legal Issues
Anwar Sadat of the Indian Society of International Law said the case presented “complex” legal issues. The prosecution is also being closely watched because it is believed to be the first instance in Europe of sanctions-related criminal charges being brought against a tanker captain rather than focusing only on the vessel or its owners.
David Hammond of Human Rights at Sea International said the outcome could have consequences beyond Pant himself.
“The case carries implications far beyond the fate of a single ship, its cargo or its master,” he wrote in an analysis for Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The issue carries particular weight for India, which has more than 3,20,000 seafarers working across the global merchant shipping industry.
Original Article: ‘My husband made scapegoat’: Wife of Indian captain held in UK over ‘Russia shadow fleet’ case — Hindustantimes