Arctic Sea pirates found guilty

Remember that crazy story from August 2009, when the Arctic Sea, a Russian-crewed cargo ship, said it had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Sweden and then went missing in the seas around Africa? There was much speculation at the time that Mossad had foiled a Russian arms shipment to Iran. Many reporters tried to dig out the true story of what happened – none succeeded.

Today, a court in the northern city of Arkhangelsk is found six of the alleged pirates guilty and handed down sentences varying from seven to 12 years. (The case was  held in Arkhangelsk “because a majority of the 17 injured parties, as well as two witnesses for the prosecution, live in the territory of its jurisdiction,” according to state news agency ITAR-Tass.)

According to Tass, after capturing the vessel, the pirates phoned Solchart, the Helsinki-based Russian-staffed company that ultimately owned the Arctic Sea, as well as its insurance company, demanding a €1.5 million ransom.

The charges are many: piracy, property plundering, acting as an organized armed group. Prosecutors have asked 8-12 years, as well as a 3 million ruble ($105,000) fine, according to Tass. Five of the six men have pleaded guilty.

Three of the alleged pirates, including alleged ringleader Dmitri Savins, agreed to a plea bargain in December and were sentenced to 3-7 years in prison.

So much remains unexplained – a secret visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the midst of the scandal, why the maritime journalist who first reported the Iran theory was forced to flea Russia amid threats on his life, and more.

The verdict was initially due yesterday, but postponed without explanation. Netanyahu arrived in Moscow on Thursday, after delaying his departure by several hours because of the bomb blast in Jerusalem.

This blogpost has been updated.