Moscow City Court Rules To Keep All Ukrainian Sailors Detained In Kerch Strait In Custody

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2019) The Moscow City Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals against a lower court's decision to extend the arrest of 24 Ukrainian sailors who were detained in the Kerch Strait for illegally crossing Russian border in November, the court's press service told Sputnik.

In July, lawyer Nikolai Polozov told Sputnik that the active stage of the Russian investigation was over and all 24 people detained in the Kerch Strait last fall had been charged with violating the Article 322.3 of the country's criminal code, concerning illegal crossing of the border in a preliminary conspiracy. On July 17, a Moscow court ruled to keep the Ukrainian sailors in custody until October 24.

"The [Moscow City] Court has rejected complaints against the decision of Moscow's Lefortovo court that extended the detention of all 24 accused until October 24," the press service said.

In November 2018, Ukraine's Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats, and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. Russia seized the Ukrainian vessels and detained crew members after they failed to respond to a demand to stop. �