Tanker chased by US Coast Guard gains Russian flag and new name – NYT

An oil tanker that attempted to evade the US Coast Guard by painting a Russian flag on its hull has been officially renamed and entered into the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

Source: The New York Times

Details: According to updated information from the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the vessel previously identified as Bella 1 is now registered under the name Marinera. The documents state that the tanker is now sailing under the Russian state flag, with the port of registry listed as the city of Sochi on the Black Sea coast.

The change of flag has created a legal complication. Under international law, vessels sailing under a state's flag fall under that state's jurisdiction and protection. However, attempts to evade US justice by retroactively changing the vessel's registration may prove ineffective.

US officials said that at the time the pursuit began more than a week ago, the tanker was sailing under a false flag and lacked legitimate registration, meaning it did not enjoy Russian protection. This, Washington argues, makes it a so-called neutral vessel – effectively stateless – and therefore subject to inspection under international law.

According to the International Maritime Organisation, the tanker had previously been registered in Panama, Palau, Liberia and the Marshall Islands. The vessel is owned by the Turkish company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises and is part of the so-called shadow fleet transporting sanctioned oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

Background:

• A US court issued a warrant for the vessel's seizure before the attempted interception. The grounds were the transportation of Iranian oil, proceeds from the sale of which, according to Washington, are used to finance terrorist organisations, including Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• On 31 December, the US Coast Guard suspended its operation to seize the sanctioned tanker after a crudely painted Russian tricolour appeared on its hull.
• The US military has said it is ready to board the vessel and is awaiting an order from the White House.
• Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, coast guards have the right to detain vessels without registration or on suspicion of fraud. At the start of the pursuit, the US classified Bella 1 as a vessel sailing under a false flag.

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