M/v “Streamline” been arrested in Azov

M/v “Streamline” (flag of Comoros) has been arrested in the port of Azov for wage arrears, a lawyer of the Azov-Don Territorial Organization, the SUR, Roman Grevtsov said.

In Russia they have been waiting for the “Streamline” since August 2013 when the court decided to put the vessel under arrest. It could be released upon paying back wages, which made as much as 157 thousand US dollars. Later on, 60 thousand dollars were paid though.

Then, the parties agreed that the shipowner should pay the rest of wage arrears for the vessel to be released, and after that the outstanding money should be paid off. But the shipowner broke this agreement and paid no money. Instead the vessel left the port and has not appeared in Russian territorial waters since then.

The “Streamline” has not been under the jurisdiction of Russia all this time. Nobody could have an effect on the shipowner. Neither Turkey nor Italy, where the vessel navigated, recognize decisions of Russian courts. It was difficult to arrest the ship in another country as part of the crew members had left the vessel, and those ones who still served there didn’t have any claims on the shipowner.

However one day the “Streamline” arrived at the port of Azov and was arrested right away. The SUR representing the interests of the former crew members of the “Streamline” got in touch with the shipowner, and the company promised to pay the wage arrears. Currently, the back wages to Russian and Ukrainian seafarers make around 92 thousand US dollars.

“The shipowner is to pay the money today”, Roman Grevtsov said, “We’re waiting for a confirmation from the bank that the money has been transferred. If the shipowner follows our agreement, the seafarers might receive their money very soon. The problem is we do not know whether money can be transferred to the Crimea with the Ukrainian banks. Seafarers from the Crimea will inform us whether it is possible or not, and then we’ll send the money. We need to receive evidence that the shipowner will keep his word and only after that we will release the “Streamline”.