JAKARTA - Russia on Thursday described the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera, formerly known as M/V Bella 1, in the North Atlantic Ocean by the US as a "serious violation of the basic principles and norms of international maritime law."
A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry described the seizure as an "illegal military action" by the US, saying the Marine received temporary permission to fly the country's flag on December 24 and "innocently passed through international waters," heading for a Russian port.
The statement said the US authorities had been repeatedly informed of the "Russian identity and civil status and peaceful nature" of the ship.
"They have no doubt about this, and there is no basis for speculating that the tanker is sailing 'without a flag' or 'with a false flag'," the statement continued, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Thursday, January 8.
The statement said international maritime law "clearly establishes the exclusive jurisdiction of the flag state with respect to ships on the high seas," and Russia not only refused to provide consent but also officially protested the pursuit by the US.
"In such circumstances, the search and seizure of a peaceful vessel by US military personnel in the high seas, as well as the arrest of its crew, can only be interpreted as a grave violation of the basic principles and norms of international maritime law, as well as freedom of navigation," the statement said.
The statement further said Russia considers Washington's reference to its own "sanctions laws" for the seizure as "baseless," adding that Moscow considers the US threat to take legal action against the crew of the ship "under the pretext of nonsense" as "absolutely unacceptable."
"The suggestion by certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington's unlimited control over Venezuela's natural resources is very cynical. We firmly reject such neocolonialist pretensions," the statement said.
The statement also expressed regret and concern over "Washington's readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations," and further stated that the seizure of the Marine "will only lead to further escalation of military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region."
"We call on Washington to return to complying with the basic norms and principles of international maritime navigation and immediately stop its illegal actions against the Marinera, as well as other vessels engaged in legitimate activities in the high seas," he added.
On Wednesday (7/1), US forces announced the seizure of a Marine in the North Atlantic Ocean for "violating US sanctions."
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the tanker was considered part of Venezuela's "shadow fleet" and was carrying oil subject to US sanctions.
He told reporters the ship was deemed "stateless" after sailing under a "false flag" and was subject to a judicial seizure order, which he said was the legal basis for the US action.
"That means the crew can now be prosecuted for violations of applicable federal law, and they will be brought to the United States for prosecution if necessary," Leavitt continued.
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