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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.

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