• pilferjinx@piefed.social
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    4 days ago

    How does the Mediterranean territorial laws work? Did the tanker try to go through French waters to smuggle sanctioned oil? Would it be better to bounce the vessel than to seize it, because this could be close piracy, not unlike US seizure of Venezuelan oil.

    • MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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      4 days ago

      It is the usual international maritime law. Warships are allowed to board foreign vessels, if they are pirates, drug trafficing, slave traders, illegal broadcasters or in this case not registered with another country. So this is completly fine.

    • LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Honestly I think it’s kind of the same thing. I’m not sure if there is a legal mechanism to seize a flagged vessel you think is doing something illegal, but I don’t think you can just say "I suspect you are smuggling oil’ and seize them. Not that there’s really anything Russia can do about it, though…

      • makingrain@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        These vessels are not flagged. That’s the whole point and why they’re a “shadow fleet”

        They’re not following international law, so it’s easier to seize them.

          • makingrain@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            And, what else does it say?

            On Thursday, the French navy intercepted the tanker - named the Grinch - which President Emmanuel Macron said was “subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag”

            Thr whole point is that they’re not actually registered under the flag they fly…

            • LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              Okay, you are right, the missing information in the article though is that Comoros themselves said the vessel is not registered with them. I don’t think it would have been legitimate for France to simply say “we suspect you are flying a false flag” and seize the vessel without evidence.