Russia criticises French interception of Tagor vessel in international waters

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova has criticised France over the detention of the Tagor vessel on the high seas, calling the move a violation of international maritime law.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press service, the incident occurred on May 31 when French naval forces, reportedly with British support, intercepted the vessel more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Brittany. The ship was traveling from Murmansk, Russia, to Cameroon and was said to be carrying little to no cargo. French authorities justified the stop on grounds that the vessel was flying a “false flag," Caliber.Az reports. 

The Russian Embassy in France has requested detailed information from the French authorities regarding the circumstances of the detention and said it is taking steps to protect Russian nationals among the crew.

France has cited Article 110 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows a warship to board a vessel on the high seas if it is suspected of having no nationality.

Zakharova rejected this justification, arguing that while limited inspections may be permitted under international law, there is no legal basis for forcibly diverting a vessel to a port of the inspecting state. She also disputed references to “international sanctions,” stating that only measures approved by the UN Security Council are legally binding under international law.

"However, international treaties do not provide for the forced rerouting of a vessel and its escort from the high seas—a maritime space where unrestricted freedom of navigation applies—to the port of the warship’s state. Not to mention French President E. Macron’s references to certain 'international' sanctions, for violating which this vessel was redirected to a French port," the statement reads. 

The Russian side further warned that actions targeting vessels operating under “flags of convenience” on the high seas could have wider implications for global merchant shipping and freedom of navigation.

"We would like to draw the attention of our European colleagues to the fact that ships operating on their behalf often sail under ‘flags of convenience.’ If the French were to take the fight against such ships to the high seas, where freedom of navigation applies, it could prove costly for the entire global merchant shipping industry,” she said.

By Sabina Mammadli