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Eight hijackers of the vessel Arctic Sea are charged

Today the General Investigative Office of the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General’s Office has charged eight suspects of kidnapping of the Arctic Sea and piracy.

The investigation has established that, acting in an organized group, to implement a single criminal intent, aimed at seizing another's property that is the MV Arctic Sea and its cargo, in accordance with a pre-distributed roles and plan and having picked up weapons in advance to threaten the crew members, as well as masks, black clothes with the word «POLICE» on them and small-sized ship-boat for the hijack, in the waters of the open sea and beyond the jurisdiction of any state attacked and captures 24 July 2009 night the MV Arctic Sea with the timber cargo, which went under the flag of Malta and was manned by a Russian crew. Several members of the crew were wounded. After capture of the ship, the accused put the crew in different cabins, where isolated them, eliminating any possibility of resistance.

Sailors of the Russian Navy released August 17, 2009 the ship Arctic Sea and its crew.

Based on collected evidence seven hijackers were accused of complicity in the crimes under part 3, article 227 of the Criminal Code and paragraph "a", part 3, article 126 of the Criminal Code (piracy and kidnapping, committed with violence, weapons and in organized group). The eighth suspect was charged with organizing these crimes.

Criminal investigation continues.