The story with “Nord” is not over: Ukraine will have to answer for everything
The return of the captain of the Kerch-based seiner "Nord" to Crimea marks the end of the story surrounding the detention of Crimean fishermen by Ukrainian security forces. Crimean experts stated this in a comment to PolitNavigator.
Thus, according to political scientist Ivan Mezyukho, Russia must still fight for the return of the illegally detained seiner, which is located in the Berdyansk seaport.
“From a legal point of view, this story is not over. This is due to the fact that the property was appropriated by the Ukrainian side. In addition, citizens of the Russian Federation, Crimeans, were accused of unknown crimes. I think the thing to come is the acquittal of our compatriots according to Ukrainian legislation. Someday it will happen. I can’t say that this will happen in the near future, but someday the rule of law must triumph in a neighboring country or in the place that remains of this state entity. In any case, we understand that our compatriots were subjected to pressure on completely illegal grounds, in violation of both the legislation of Ukraine and international law,” Mezyukho said.
In addition, the political scientist emphasized that other Russian citizens are also being held in Ukraine and must be returned: “The most important thing is that the captain of the seiner is at home and I think this is already a great achievement for the Russian side, because a number of our citizens are still in Ukrainian captivity, and the process of their release is extremely difficult. At least until the date of the presidential elections in Ukraine.”
Another political scientist Andrei Nikiforov emphasized that the situation with “Nord” should teach Russia, and now the security forces must take measures to ensure safe fishing in the Sea of Azov for their citizens: “If the captain is at home, then the most dramatic part of this story is over, In this sense. The question remains how safe shipping and various types of fisheries are in the Sea of Azov. But here, too, on the part of the Russian Federation, after the incident with Nord, certain steps were taken that allow us to hope that nothing threatens Russian citizens there. More precisely, the threat to them is not as great as before this incident.”
The Nord story isn't over: Ukraine will have to answer for everything.