Sakhalin Energy Sues Svitzer over Tugboats
Russia's Sakhalin Energy operating company has filed a lawsuit in a Russian court over tugboats owned by Denmark's Svitzer, a unit of shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, court documents showed on Thursday. The Russian court on the Pacific island of Sakhalin last month ordered the seizure of four tugboats belonging to Svitzer at the request of Sakhalin Energy, which claimed that the Danish company had unilaterally annulled the freight contract with it. Maersk has said it decided to exit Russia completely in March 2022 and has had an ongoing divestment process over its towage activitiesâŚ
Russian Court Seizes Four Danish-owned Tugboats in Sakhalin
A Russian court on the Pacific island of Sakhalin has ordered the provisional seizure of four tugboats belonging to Denmark's Svitzer, the world's biggest tugboat operator, at the request of a Russian energy company. Moscow has been seizing the assets of some Western companies which have left the country or are scaling back their business there in response to the conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions. A court ruling dated April 24 said it had ordered the tugboats seized in response to a request by Sakhalin EnergyâŚ
Russian Court Rejects Plea to Release Greenpeace Ship
The Murmansk Regional Court has rejected an appeal against the arrest of the ship 'Arctic Sunrise' by Russian authorities reports Greenpeace. "This is an extremely disappointing ruling. We believe this verdict is in violation of both the Russian Criminal Procedure Code and international law. Cassation procedures are now available under Russian law," said Gerrit-Jan Bolderman, Director of Stichting Phoenix, the shipâs owner. Besides the possibility of a further appeal at a cassation court by Stichting PhoenixâŚ
Greenpeace Arctic Detention & Upcoming ITLOS Hearing
ITLOS is an independent judicial body located in Hamburg, Germany, established to resolve disputes about the interpretation and application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Dutch authorities initiated an arbitration case against Russia on October 4, and on October 21 called for ITLOS to indicate âprovisional measuresâ pending the outcome of that arbitration. In a âprovisional measuresâ case like this one, ITLOS can order measures it thinks appropriate to preserve the respective rights of the Netherlands and the Russian FederationâŚ
Netherlands Pushes for Release of Arctic Greenpeace Protestors
The Dutch government has lodged a rare application at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), asking it to order the immediate release of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and all those who were aboard for the peaceful protest against Gazpromâs Arctic oil platform, the Prirazlomnaya. If ITLOS rules in favor of the Netherlands, the 28 Greenpeace International activists, freelance photographer Denis Sinyakov and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan could go home while they await confirmation of a Russian court date. The Dutch authorities initiated an arbitration case against Russia on October 4, and are calling for ITLOS to indicate âprovisional measuresâ pending the outcome of that arbitration.
Greenpeace's 'Arctic Sunrise' Skipper Refused Bail
The captain of the Greenpeace International ship 'Arctic Sunrise' and two other activists have been refused bail by a Russian Court informs Greenpeace International. American Pete Willcox appeared this morning before a court in Murmansk. He was the captain of the Arctic Sunrise when it was seized last month by armed men from the Russian security forces. He was also the captain of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985 when it was bombed by the French secret service, killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira.
Thousands Stand Up for Greenpeace Detainees
Thousands of people took part in an emergency day of solidarity protests 5, October 2013, around the world to demand the release of 30 people imprisoned in Russia after they were detained aboard a Greenpeace ship in the Arctic. Peaceful events were held on every continent, in more than 135 locations across 45 countries, from New Zealand to Mexico, from Thailand to Finland and the United States. There are also protests planned across Russia. Earlier, 28 Greenpeace activists, and a freelance photographer and a videographerâŚ
Greenpeace Arctic Protesters Under Lock & Key
Twenty-eight Greenpeace International activists, as well as a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer, were taken to the Lenin district court in Murmansk in handcuffs, where they were placed in a cage and provided inadequate translators. Of the 30, a total of 22 were remanded in custody for two months pending an investigation into piracy charges, while eight were detained for three days pending a new hearing. âThese detentions are like the Russian oil industry itself, a relic from an earlier era.
Russian Nuclear Sub Trapped On Bottom
More than 100 Russian sailors are reportedly trapped in their nuclear-powered submarine on the sea bed off northern Russia, after technical faults apparently forced them to shut down the nuclear reactor, the navy said. Reuters reported that Russia's independent NTV television station said the cause of the accident was flooding of the torpedo tubes and front section of the submarine Kursk, and said a power shutdown might lead to problems with oxygen supplies. The navy could not be contacted to confirm the details of the accident. The head of the navy's press office, Igor Dygalo, said earlier that unspecified technical faults had forced the Kursk to settle on the sea bed after training exercises in the Barents Sea, most of which lies in the Arctic circle north of European Russia.
