Russia to seek absolute vindication of sailors in Nigeria - ambassador
MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - A Nigerian court will hold the next hearing in April to determine the future of Russian sailors from the Myre Seadiver ship, who were recently released from custody under the Russian Embassy's guarantees, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria Alexander Polyakov said in an interview published in the Thursday issue of Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
"The hearing has been scheduled for April 10. We will prepare for it together with a representative from Moran Security Group, which owns the ship. Our only goal is to secure our sailors' absolute and unconditional release and to have the charges against them dropped. This takes a lot of painstaking, difficult and delicate work," Polyakov said.
The court set bail in an amount of $500,000 for the vessel itself, and if this money is paid, the vessel will be freed as well, he said.
"But this is quite big money. I don't have it, and I think the local representative of Moran Security Group does not have it either. If the company manages to accumulate this money in Russia and transfer it to Nigeria, this will take some time anyway. But it is for the shareholders to decide whether to pay the bail now or seek the dropping of all charges. The fate of our citizens remains the top priority for us in any case," he said.
The Russian sailors have lawyers hired by the ship owner, he said.
The Myre Seadiver operated by a Russian crew of 15 was stopped at the Lagos port on October 19, 2012. Nigerian media reported that 14 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 42 rifles, and over 8,500 rounds of ammunition had been found on board the ship. The vessel is now held at a Nigerian naval base.
Polyakov told Interfax earlier that the Russian sailors had been released from a Nigerian prison and were safe at the embassy.
A Nigerian court released the sailors under the embassy's guarantees on February 25.
