Overview
- A Brest court sentenced the Boracay’s captain, Chen Zhangjie, to one year in prison and a €150,000 fine, and it issued an arrest warrant.
- His lawyer said he will appeal and argued France has no jurisdiction over actions in international waters under the U.N. Law of the Sea.
- The case stems from a French Navy stop in international waters off Ouessant after the 244-meter ship sailed without a visible flag and, after refusing orders, forced what prosecutors called a dangerous maneuver.
- Investigators tie the tanker to Russia’s “ghost fleet,” report a false Benin flag, and say it carried Russian oil bound for India with two Russian private security guards on board to watch the crew and collect intelligence.
- The ship has since been renamed Phoenix under a Russian flag, and France says it has intercepted three such tankers as President Emmanuel Macron pledged to curb sanction evasion at sea.