Sentence on Arctic Sea case to be delivered late in March

11.03.2011 Arkhangelsk Regional Court will deliver sentence on the case of captured cargo ship Arctic Sea in March 22-23, reported RIA Novosti referring to the court's press secretary Ksenia Solovyova.

Criminal trial against six persons charged of hijacking of cargo vessel Arctic Sea in July 2009 with Arkhangelsk crewmen on board has being held since Dec 2010. Complainants are 15 crewmembers, shipowning company Arctic Sea Ltd, and director of Solchart-Arkhangelsk who was directly demanded to pay a EUR 1.5 mln ransom.

"Judicial investigation has been completed, debates have also passed. Attorneys for defense say it was hijacking but not piracy, that the ship was captured in Swedish territorial waters, and that their clients did not steal personal items of the crew. Accused persons asked for a punishment lighter than the minimal sanction provided by the appropriate criminal clause which is 10-year imprisonment", said Solovyova.

Generally, five out of six charged persons agreed with presented accusation and admitted guilt, although denied beating the crewmen and stealing their personal items. Accused Igor Borisov said he happened on board occasionally and did not participate in the ship's capture.

The cargo ship with 15 Arkhangelsk sailors aboard sailed from Finland to Algeria. After disappearance late in July 2009, the vessel was found near Cape Verde on Aug 16. The crew release operation was conducted by Russia's Black Sea Fleet marines.

Dmitry Bartenev (Russia), Vitalijs Lepins (Latvia), Yevgeny Mironov (Estonia), Alexei Andriushin, Alexei Buleyev, and Igor Borisov (stateless persons) are accused of piracy in accordance with clause 227/3 (RF Criminal Code) which provides up to 15 years of imprisonment.

Cost of Arctic Sea exceeds RUR 124 mln; cost of woods carried by the ship is over RUR 88 mln. Besides, the accused persons are charged of stealing the crew's personal items to the amount of over RUR 700,000.

Moscow City Court previously sentenced the leader of hijackers Dmitry Savins (Latvia) to 7 years of close confinement; pirate Andrei Lunev got five years of general imprisonment. In addition, Latvian businessman Sergei Demchenko was sentenced to 3-year imprisonment as the capture initiator.