France jails captain of Russian shadow tanker for one year

The Chinese captain of the Russian tanker Boracay, seized by the French navy off the coast of Brittany last year, has been sentenced to one year in prison by a criminal court in the city of Brest for refusing to obey orders.

Source: European Pravda, citing Le Figaro

Details: Chen Zhangjie, 39, who was not present when the verdict was delivered, was also fined €150,000. The court issued a warrant for his arrest.

The ruling is in line with the prosecution's recommendations made during a hearing on 23 February.

French service personnel "faced particular hostility from the captain", which forced them to carry out "a dangerous manoeuvre that could have led to an accident", deputy prosecutor Gabriel Rollin said.

The court said the captain refused to comply when the French navy tried to inspect his 244-metre vessel, which was not sailing under a visible flag, on 27 September 2025, as it travelled in international waters off Ushant island.

The vessel, which is subject to European sanctions because of its links to Russia's shadow fleet, was carrying a cargo of Russian oil bound for India and raised a false Benin flag before being boarded by French service personnel.

Two employees of a Russian private security company were on board. Their task was to monitor the crew and gather intelligence.

During the hearing, Chen Zhangjie's lawyer Henri de Richemont argued for his client's acquittal, saying he could not be tried in a French court over events that took place in international waters.

The lawyer said that if Chen Zhangjie had refused to comply, he should be tried in a Chinese court rather than a French one, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The oil tanker is now called Phoenix and sails under the Russian flag.

Background:

• Last year, the French Armed Forces boarded the Russia-linked tanker Boracay, anchored off France's western coast and currently under investigation by French authorities.
• At the time, media reports suggested that the Boracay may be linked to recent drone incidents observed over Denmark.
• French President Emmanuel Macron commented that the Boracay was suspected of "serious offences" but declined to address speculation about its involvement in drone launches.

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