Support The Moscow Times!

Senegal Skips Meeting Over Detained Trawler as Russia Again Points Finger at Greenpeace

Senegalese authorities have skipped a pre-arranged meeting with Russian officials over the fate of a Russian trawler detained by the African country last week.

Spokesmen from Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency reiterated allegations that the detention was instigated by Greenpeace.

Greenpeace, which has ties to Senegal's fisheries minister, earlier denied the accusation.

In 2012, the environmental organization busted the Oleg Naydyonov trawler poaching fish off the West African coast.

The Russian-flagged Oleg Naydyonov was detained by Senegalese border guards on Saturday with 62 Russians and 23 Guinea-Bissau crew onboard.

Official Dakar threatened ship owners with a fine of $800,000 for illegal fishing.

As well as passing on Tuesday's meeting, the Senegalese authorities denied the ship's captain the right to come ashore to receieve medical treatment, Prime news agency reported.

The head of Russia's fisheries agency Andrei Krainy had asked Senegal's President, Macky Sall, to authorize medical examinations for captain Vadim Mantorov and other crew members following complaints about violent treatment by the Senegalese forces during the ship's detention.

Material from The Moscow Times was included in this report.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more