Court sentenced six Arctic Sea hijackers

25.03.2011 On Thursday Arkhangelsk regional court sentenced six persons accused of hijacking cargo vessel Arctic Sea in July 2009; total term of imprisonment is 56 years, reported RIA Novosti.

The court gave sentence as close confinement in accordance with clause 227/3 (piracy) of the RF Criminal Code to Alexei Andriushin – 10 years, Dmitry Bartenev - 10 years, Igor Borisov – 12 years, Alexei Buleyev – 10 years, Vitalijs Lepins – 7 years, Yevgeny Mironov – 7 years.

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.

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.

Cost of Arctic Sea exceeds RUR 124 mln; cost of woods carried by the ship is over RUR 88 mln.

Generally, the 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.

During the trial, the accused persons asked for a punishment lighter than the minimal sanction provided by the appropriate criminal clause which is 10-year imprisonment.

Prosecutors insisted to punish Andriushin and Bartenev with 10-year imprisonment, Borisov – 12 years, Buleyev – 8 years, Lepins and Mironov – 8.5 years.

Moscow City Court previously sentenced the leader of hijackers Dmitry Savins (Latvia) to 7 years of close confinement. He took part in the recent Arkhangelsk trial as a witness detailing on preparations, capturing and hijacking of Arctic Sea.

Savins said once again that the initiator was Estonian businessman and politician, former coordinator of Estonia's foreign intelligence service Eerik-Niiles Kross, and that the capture's purpose was growth of demand for maritime security services in the Baltic.

In addition, Andrei Lunev had previously got five years of general imprisonment, and Latvian businessman Sergei Demchenko was sentenced to 3-year imprisonment as the capture initiator. Both of them were also summoned to appear at the court as witnesses, although they refused to participate in the proceedings.