Lawyers seek to halt deportation of seized tanker's captain to US

 

Lawyers are asking a Scottish court to halt the deportation of the captain of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera after it was seized by the US in the North Atlantic.

The captain's wife has raised an action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, seeking an immediate halt to the removal of the captain and the ship from the UK to America.

Lawyers are arguing that the detention of Avtandil Kalandadze is unlawful under the European Convention of Human Rights and say the US government should seek his removal from Scotland through the normal extradition process.

The Venezuelan tanker was boarded by US agents south of Iceland on 7 January and has since been moored in the Moray Firth.

BBC Scotland News understands the Marinera will be taken to the United States.

The US has accused the Marinera of breaking its sanctions by carrying oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran.

The UK government backed the operation to seize the tanker, saying it was lawful action against a vessel involved in breaking sanctions.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) provided operational support and US planes used UK airfields, including some in Scotland.

But Moscow denounced the seizure, demanding that the US treat Russians aboard properly and allow them to return to Russia quickly.

The Russian transport ministry said it had given the vessel "temporary permission" to use the Russian flag, adding that no state had the right to use force against vessels properly registered in other states' jurisdictions.

Lawyer Aamer Anwar said Kalandadze's wife was concerned for her husband's safety and security on the ship, which was formerly known as Bella 1.