8 Arctic Sea captors charged with piracy, kidnapping
The Investigations Committee of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office (SKP) has brought charges of piracy and kidnapping against all the eight captors of the Arctic Sea vessel, SKP spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday ITAR-TASS resports.
"On the strength of the gathered evidence, seven captors have been charged with complicity in the commission of the crimes covered by Article 227, Part 3 and Article 126, Item "a", Part 3 (piracy and kidnapping committed with the use violence and arms by organized group). The eighth suspect has been charged with masterminding the above crimes," Markin said.
"Investigators have ascertained that the suspects, acting as organized group, with the view of realizing one criminal intent, aimed at the capture of property - the Arctic Sea bulk carrier and its cargo -- in accordance with the assigned roles and a plan, having procured weapons for suppressing the resistance by the crew of the bulk carrier, and having prepared masks, and black clothes sporting the word POLICE and a small inflatable boat, attacked and seized the Arctic Sea bulk carrier with a load of timber in the open sea outside the jurisdiction of any state on July 24," Markin said.
"Several crew members were injured during the capture. Having seized the vessel, its captors put the crewmembers in various suits to isolate them and rule out any possibility to offer resistance," he added.
On August 21, Moscow's Basmanny court sanctioned the arrest of the eight suspects. They were flown to Moscow by a Russian military aircraft on August 20.
Among the arrest persons are citizens of Russia, Estonia and Latvia, as well as persons without citizenship. According to the materials referred to court, Dmitry Bartenev is a Russian citizen, Yevgeny Mironov has Estonian citizenship and Vitaly Lepin has Latvian citizenship. There has been no information on other detainees.
They are kept at the Lefortovo remand prison at present. The SKP spokesman denied the Russian and foreign media reports alleging "a secret mission" of the Arctic Sea and withholding of the truth about the investigation.
He also did not confirm the information alleging the presence of banned cargo - weapons or narcotics - on board the Arctic Sea.
"At present, the investigators have no information that the vessel might be carrying any forbidden cargo," Markin said, "the SKP states that all information about the investigation into this criminal case is timely provided to the mass media, in accordance with the requirements of the Russian legislation."
Markin denied the speculations that the victims - 11 sailors - were also brought to Moscow and isolated from their relatives.
"The victims' rights have never been violated. They were given sets of clothes, food and everything necessary upon their arrival in Moscow, and accommodated at a Moscow hotel. They were repeatedly offered the opportunity to get in touch with the relatives. They use this opportunity at their discretion," Markin underlined.
"Due to the fact that it is technically impossible to carry out a number of investigative actions on a short notice, the victims will stay in the Russian capital until these actions have been completed," he said.
The investigator plan to ask a number of European countries for assistance in the probe. "Inquires are being prepared within the framework of the criminal case; they will be sent to the authorized bodies of a number of interested states, in particular to Sweden, Finland, Malta and other countries. In accordance with the norms of international Law of the Sea, Malta will be informed about the investigative actions on the Arctic Sea, as the country under whose flag the bulk carrier was found," the SKP spokesman said.
The Arctic Sea flying the Maltese flag, was to have arrived in Bedjaya, Algeria, with a load of sawn timber from Finland on August 4. The contact with the vessel was lost on July 28.
Reports said an inflatable fast boat approached the vessel in Swedish territorial waters at 23:00, Moscow time, on July 24. It was carrying eight people clad in black uniforms with the word POLICIA on their backs. Threatening the crew with weapons, they demanded that the sailors carry out all their orders without questions. The Arctic Sea then proceeded toward Africa along the route ordered by the captors, with deactivated navigation equipment. On August 17, the Russian warship Ladny re-captured the Arctic Sea without using arms off Cape Verde Islands.
On Wednesday, Moscow's Basmanny arrested the bulk carrier Arctic Sea. SKP spokesman Vladimir Markin said the vessel, in accordance with international legislation, is now under Russian jurisdiction. To ascertain all the circumstances of the crime, the investigators intend to find what cargo the Arctic Sea was carrying. "Due to the fact that the vessel can only be examined after arrest has been place on it, the SKP lodged a petition demand that the vessel be arrested. The petition was granted," Markin said.
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