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Photo: Arctic Sea.
Six persons accused in hijacking of cargo ship Arctic Sea were convoyed from Moscow to Arkhangelsk; preliminary hearing is appointed on Dec 16-17, reported RIA Novosti citing Ksenia Soloviova, press secretary of Arkhangelsk Regional Court.
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Arctic Sea captors were convoyed to Arkhangelsk
12/10/2010 |
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The ship with 15 crewmen natives of Arkhangelsk sailing from Finland to Algeria disappeared late in July 2009 and was found on Aug 16, 2009 in the Atlantic near African island state Cape Verde. According to investigators, Arctic Sea was captured by citizens of Estonia, Latvia, and Russia. The crew-release operation was successfully conducted by Black Sea Fleet servicemen.
Alexei Andriushin, Dmitry Bartenev, Alexei Buleyev, Igor Borisov, Vitalijs Lepins, and Evgeny Mironov are accused in piracy (cl. 227/3, RF Criminal Code). They might be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
"Previously, one of accused persons applied to conduct a jury court after insight of the case. According to the code of criminal procedure, this is an indispensable cause for appointment of closed judicial session as a preliminary hearing", said Mrs. Soloviova.
Depending on results of the preliminary hearing, the form of proceeding will be determined and the date of trial on the merits will be set. Presumably, the trial will be started either late in Dec or in the second decade of Jan 2011.
According to the press secretary, there are no grounds to appoint hearing in camera, so all media agencies will be informed about the beginning of the trial and will be able to attend the court sessions.
"The criminal case is within jurisdiction of Arkhangelsk Regional Court, because 16 out of seventeen complainants and two prosecution witnesses live there", said the court representative.
Early on, Moscow City Court sentenced two captors of Arctic Sea. The gang leader – Latvian citizen Dmitry Savins got seven years of close confinement, and pirate Andrei Lunev – 5 years of ordinary confinement. Early Nov 2010 the criminal case against another assumed participant Sergei Demchenko was sent to the court for substantive prosecution.