An appeal against the seizure was filed at the Financial Court in Greifswald. The heavily oil-laden tanker, which was en route to India, suffered an accident in the Baltic Sea near Rügen, with all of its electrical systems failing. Initially, in accordance with maritime law, the ship was secured in its position by tugboats, but it was later towed to Sassnitz and held there until its seaworthiness was confirmed, the crew was replaced and the Panamanian-flagged ship was seized. This legally questionable action was justified by the fact that the ship was allegedly part of the “Russian shadow fleet” which is said to transport Russian oil on outdated tankers without insurance to circumvent EU sanctions. The “Eventin” (IMO 9308065) was built in 2006 and, like the global average of tanker fleets, is just as old. It was built in South Korea by Samsung and equipped with a MAN-B&W motor, making it a typical and average example of its class. It remains to be seen whether the forced seizure into German waters and the subsequent seizure due to a violation of sanctions can be justified in a trial in Greifswald and potentially further instances of financial court. The Federal Ministry of Finance, which has now confirmed the receipt of the appeal, had speculated on the possibility of utilizing the 100,000 tons of heavy oil on board the ship and the ship itself. The value of the oil is estimated at 40 million euros. It remains unclear who filed the appeal. Three potential plaintiffs come into question: the State of Panama, under whose flag the ship is sailing and whose extraterritorial jurisdiction thus applies at sea, the owner of the “Eventin” and the owner of the loaded oil. The legal dispute could potentially extend beyond the German financial courts and be taken to international arbitration courts. Depending on the final decision, it could take several years before a resolution is reached. Until then, the “Eventin” will remain at the hazardous cargo terminal, to which it will be transferred in the coming days. Estonia recently seized an empty tanker on its way to Ust-Luga, which suggests that further incidents of this kind will challenge international maritime law.
Eventin Seizure Lawsuit Threatens Ship Cargo Sale to Finance Ministry
