Eagle S tore several underwater cables with its anchor during Christmas 2024. The ship's captain and two mates were charged last year, but when the verdict was to be handed down, the district court reversed course and held that Finnish criminal law could not be applied to crimes outside Finland's territorial waters.
But the Court of Appeal disagrees, reports Yle. The crimes can be considered to have been committed in Finland since the consequences were felt in the country, the Court of Appeal writes. The decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court, otherwise the case will be retried in the district court.
The Eagle S is flagged in the Cook Islands and has been considered part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet. The defendants have denied any wrongdoing.
