The decision opens the possibility of transferring the ship to the Ukrainian side as part of an investigation into an possible war crime.
This was reported by Reuters.
A court in Sweden has allowed the transfer of Caffa cargo ship to Ukraine, suspected of illegally transporting grain from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the court recognized the arrest of the ship by the Swedish police and coast guard in March this year in the Baltic Sea as lawful.
According to the investigation, the dry cargo ship was sailing under a false flag and violated maritime safety standards due to its poor technical condition. The ship's owner, Caffa Shipping Limited, tried to appeal the arrest and have the ship released, but the court rejected this claim.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Ukraine is seeking the transfer of the Caffa as part of an investigation into a possible war crime related to the appropriation and export of property from occupied territories. The court noted that such actions may fall under the definition of a war crime under Swedish law.
Prosecutor Hakan Larsson said that the court had confirmed the legality of the ship's arrest and the possibility of its transfer to Ukraine. At the same time, the decision has yet to enter into force. The ship's owners have three weeks to file an appeal.
According to Swedish police, most of the ship's 11 crew members are russian citizens. The Caffa is a 96-meter cargo ship.
In March, Swedish law enforcement officers detained the dry cargo ship Caffa near the city of Trelleborg in the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainian side links the ship to the illegal export of grain from the occupied Crimea and other territories seized by russia. The ship was previously included in the sanctions list of Ukraine.
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