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'Arctic Sea'
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Hijacked ship affair: Journalist flees Russia

Day after Ynet reveals hijacking of Russian vessel 'Arctic Sea' in July was ordered Moscow to thwart private arms deal with Mideast country, BBC reports editor who suggested cargo ship may have been carrying illegal weapons flees Russia after receiving threatening phone call from 'serious people'

A day after Ynet investigation revealed that the hijacking of the Russian vessel 'Arctic Sea' in July was ordered by the Russian government to thwart a private arms deal between Russian officials and a Middle Eastern country, apparently Iran, it appears as though Moscow is going to great lengths to prevent the publication of further details surrounding the affair.  

 

The BBC reported Thursday that Russian journalist Mikhail Voitenko fled Russia after suggesting that the Arctic Sea cargo ship may have been carrying illegal weapons.

 

He said he had been told to leave Moscow or face arrest.

 

News agencies around the world published reports tying Israel to the hijacking, but a Ynet investigation based on a number of Russian, European, and Middle Eastern sources concluded that this was not plausible.

 

The editor of Sovfracht, an online maritime journal, fled on Wednesday, saying he may not be able to return as his life would be in danger, the BBC reported.

 

Voitenko - who was among the first to cast doubt on official explanations about the ship's disappearance - told the BBC it was nonsense to suggest pirates had been involved.

 

'Nato knew exactly what had happened'

Instead, according to the BBC, he suggested the ship may have been carrying a secret shipment of weapons as part of a private business deal by state officials.

  

Voitenko was quoted by BBC as saying he had received a threatening phone call from "serious people" whom he suggested may have been members of Russia's intelligence agency, the FSB.

 

According to the report, the caller told Voitenko that those involved in the mysterious case of the Arctic Sea were very angry with him because he had spoken publicly, and were planning on taking action against him.

 

"As long as I am out of Russia I feel safe," Voitenko told the BBC. "At least they won't be able to get me back to Russia and convict (me)."

 

He also said Nato knew exactly what had happened to the Arctic Sea.

 

A Nato spokesman was quoted by BBC as saying that the alliance had been in contact with Russia throughout the crisis, but would not say anything more.

 

The Arctic Sea, which left Finland on July 21 with 15 Russian crew members and a cargo of timber, failed to arrive in Algeria on Aug. 4 as scheduled. The ship's signal had disappeared in the Atlantic in late July.

 

Russia sent naval vessels Aug. 12 to search for the ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Days later, the government said it had found the Arctic Sea off West Africa and arrested eight hijackers.

 

But many questions remain.

 

Russia took control of the Maltese-flagged freighter, which is now sailing toward a Russian port.

 

AP contributed to the report 

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.03.09, 20:49
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