Sunday, October 21, 2012

Abandon ship!’: crew ordered to leave Libertad

Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman announced yesterday that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner “decided to evacuate the whole of the Libertad ship’s crew, Argentines and foreigners, leaving the captain behind with a small crew,” to protect the frigate held in Ghana.

Timerman said that, by order from the President, he will “immediately fly to UN headquarters,” where he will hold a meeting tomorrow with the Security Council’s president, and with “all of those committees related to human rights violations, international treaties and financial fraud.”

The foreign minister read the press release yesterday at Government House, accompanied by Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli, adding that the seizure of the vessel by Ghana’s court, is “extortion and an act of piracy against a sovereign country.

“The verdict of Ghana’s courts, which orders the detention of the Libertad frigate not only violates international agreements obliging the Republic of Ghana to guarantee immunity to naval vessels, but also places at risk the human rights of the 326 crew on board,” read the press release.

“The judicial mandate has prohibited the administration of fuel to the Frigate. This prohibition impedes the functioning of its power generators that support the kitchen, refrigerators, bathrooms, running- water and electricity. Of even more importance, is that the lack of fuel renders the preventive fire safety system, the bailout system in case of the vessel sinking, and the breakdown system control all ineffective,” said the press release.

“It’s clear then that the Judge’s intention is to oblige a sovereign country to negotiate with an entity dedicated to financial piracy,” said Timerman.

“This option is the only one unacceptable for Argentina.”

The training frigate was detained under a court order obtained by NML Capital, an affiliate of investment firm Elliot Management, on October 2.

Herald with DyN, Telam