Moscow – Huelva, 18 September 2009. The Spanish Criminal Court today reviewed the prison sentence of 15 Russian sailors and ruled to release them on conditional early parole. The sailors were sentenced last year for smuggling to three years of imprisonment. The Russian citizens were represented by EPAM in affiliation with Spanish lawyers.

On 14 May 2008, 15 Russian citizens (13 crew members of the Juozas Aleksonis trawler and 2 crew members of Tralmeister Mogutov trawler) were detained in Huelva. Both vessels belong to the OJSC Arkhangelsk Trawler Fleet which at the time were being repaired in Huelva. The sailors were accused of smuggling and “crimes against nation’s health”. The detainees were held at the Huelva regional prison.

On 25 May 2009 the Spanish Criminal Court commenced the legal hearings and charged the sailors under the Criminal Code of Spain, which stipulates imprisonment of up to four and a half years. The Court determined the punishment of three years and one day term of imprisonment.

“Today, the Criminal Court of Spain decided to alter the sentence of the Russian sailors to a conditional early release on parole,” Arkady Krasnikhin, a partner at EPAM, and the affiliated Spanish lawyers said. - ‘The decision can be appealed within three days.’

“Today all 15 prisoners, held in the Huelva detention facility, have been freed,” informed Dimitry Afanasiev, the Chairman of EPAM. 

For more information:

Olga Frolova
Tel.: +7 495 935 8010
Mob.: +7 916 503 24 02
Email: press@epam.ru