DutchNews, August 25, 2015
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| The Peace Palace is home to the arbitration court |
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in
The Hague has ordered Russia to pay the Netherlands compensation over the
incident with the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise in 2013.
The Arctic Sunrise,
which sails under the Dutch flag, was seized in September 2013 and its crew
arrested on piracy charges following a protest at a Russian drilling rig in
Arctic waters. The crew were released in December that year after Russia agreed
to an amnesty.
The tribunal ruled that Russia broke international law when it
entered the ship and arrested the 30-strong crew, including two Dutch
nationals. Nor was there any question of terrorism as Russia claimed, the
tribunal said.
The tribunal ruled the Netherlands is entitled to ‘compensation
(with interest) for material damage to the Arctic Sunrise, for material and
non-material damage to the Arctic 30, and for costs incurred’.
It also ruled
that Russia return objects seized from the ship and crew.
The amount of
compensation will be decided at a later date. However, Russia said on Tuesday
it would not recognise the ruling, describing it as an ‘encouragement to
non-peaceful protest at sea’.
The PCA looks at cases arising out of
international treaties and covers a wide range of legal issues, including
disputes over territorial boundaries, human rights, international state
investment and trade. Russia is a signatory to both its founding treaties.
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