Finland Seizes Ship Suspected of Severing Undersea Cable To Estonia (reuters.com)
- Reference: 0180492009
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/31/155232/finland-seizes-ship-suspected-of-severing-undersea-cable-to-estonia
- Source link: https://www.reuters.com/world/finland-suspects-ship-causing-undersea-cable-damage-president-says-2025-12-31/
Police are investigating the case as aggravated criminal damage and have not disclosed the ship's name, nationality or details about its crew. The cable belongs to Finnish telecoms group Elisa. Estonia's justice ministry reported that a second telecoms cable connecting the two countries -- owned by Sweden's Arelion -- also went down on Wednesday. This follows Finland's December 2024 boarding of the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S, which investigators said damaged a power cable and multiple telecoms links using the same anchor-dragging method. A Finnish court in October dismissed criminal charges against the Eagle S crew after prosecutors failed to prove intent.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/finland-suspects-ship-causing-undersea-cable-damage-president-says-2025-12-31/
Intent? (Score:5, Insightful)
> A Finnish court in October dismissed criminal charges against the Eagle S crew after prosecutors failed to prove intent.
Intent should only determine the severity of the punishment, not whether they were guilty. If I accidentally run my car into the side of a building, catch the building on fire, and burn it down, I am still responsible for the damages caused, even if I did not intend to do it. Hopefully my insurance will cover it, but I am responsible.
Even if they did not INTEND to damage the undersea cable, the crew, owners, etc of that ship should still be completely responsible for the cost of the damages. If they are uninsured (shadow fleet type thing) or will not pay, then the ship should be seized to recoup the costs, which takes it out of commission as a future tool to cause damage, and at least someone should be held until the matter has been settled.
Re: (Score:2)
Right, but that's handled through civil court, not criminal court. You don't have to be guilty of a crime to be liable for damages.
Re: (Score:2)
Correct, but civil is in ADDITION to criminal. If I run my car accidentally into a building, that is still reckless driving, failure to maintain control, etc, whether or not I intended to damage the building.
Re: (Score:2)
It's only criminal if a crime is committed. Is there a law that makes accidental damage to a cable illegal, or is intent required? [1]The article on the case [reuters.com] makes it sound like the latter is covered by domestic Finnish law, and that the former are covered by a treaty and out of Finnish jurisdiction.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/finnish-court-deliver-verdict-baltic-sea-cable-breach-trial-against-tanker-crew-2025-10-03/
Re: (Score:2)
It is not necessarily reckless driving. It could be a mechanical failure, a software upgrade that went bad, or it could be you threw yourself into the building wall to avoid a loose baby carriage. You're still civilly liable for the damage to the building (then your insurance company will claim the money back from the person or company at the origin of the problem but that's not your business).
Re: (Score:2)
Welcome to maritime law which is intentionally convoluted so no one could ever be at fault. The ship is owned by one country, flies the flag of another, operated by a company in yet another country, and finally manned by a crew from who knows where. Who do you punish?
They should use the Hegseth Defense (Score:1, Troll)
Sink 1st, investigate later
Re: (Score:2)
1. Boat way too big.
2. We grabbed a few of these boats in the past. Every single time, they got released because there was no evidence of it being intentional. Grab mainly facilitates insurance claim being processed.
Re: (Score:2)
not a firm believer of due process, eh? perhaps ask chatgpt why it is so important, even when you ~know~ they’re guilty.
Re: (Score:3)
It's happening in Finland, not in trumpistan.
Re: (Score:2)
Even the US is boarding oil tankers instead of sinking them, that would be an ecological disaster.