A Russian-administered court in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula ruled on February 16 to detain four Ukrainian fisherman for 10 days as civil punishment for "illegally fishing" in the Sea of Azov where they were detained and had their boat impounded the previous day.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) border guard force said it apprehended the four Ukrainians off the coast of Crimea and accused them of "violating the rules for catching aquatic biological resources."
The fishermen didn't have documents on their person and the catch on board the vessel was illegal, said Larisa Opanasyuk, the human rights ombudswoman on the Russian-occupied peninsula.
A 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty stipulates unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov.
Ukraine's presidential representative in annexed Crimea based in the southern Kherson region said it was the monitoring the situation with the four fishermen.
On November 25, 2018, Russian border guards attacked, intercepted, and seized three Ukrainian Navy boats off Crimea, taking 24 crew members prisoner.
The following November, Russia returned the severely damaged Ukrainian vessels and a UN tribunal had ordered Russia to immediately release the crew members and ships in May.
The sailors were freed after 10 months in a landmark prisoner exchange in September.
Russia invaded Crimea in early 2014 and has controlled the peninsula ever since, triggering Western sanctions that are still in place.
Ukrainian Fishermen Detained by Russia In Sea Of Azov Get 10 Days In Crimean Jail
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Central Asian Returnees Struggle To Find Work Amid Russia's Record-High Deportations
2Putin, Pashinian Agree To Withdraw Russian Troops From Armenia-Iran Border
3Hundreds Evacuated After Ukrainian Strike On Crimean Fuel Depot
4Photo Archive Offers Rare Glimpse Into Daily Life In Communist Bulgaria
5Ukraine Live Briefing: Zelenskiy Meets With Macron, Meloni
6Why So Many Hungarians Are Staying Childfree
7Mass Exit Of Migrant Workers Is Changing The Face Of Russia's Taxi Scene
8Moscow's Ambassador To U.S. Concludes Term, Returning Home
9Ukrainian Media Outlet Says It's Being Pressured By Zelenskiy's Office
10Israel Says Nasrallah's Successor Likely 'Eliminated'; Harris Blasts Iran
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
