Germany Urges Russia To Comply With Decision Of Sea Law Tribunal On Ukrainian Sailors

German Federal Foreign Office has urged Russia to comply with the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which demanded Moscow to release the Ukrainian sailors, the office told Sputnik

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2019) German Federal Foreign Office has urged Russia to comply with the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which demanded Moscow to release the Ukrainian sailors, the office told Sputnik.

Earlier in the day, the ITLOS demanded Russia to free Ukrainian sailors and warships seized in the Kerch Strait for violating the Russian border back in November 2018. However, the tribunal did not ask for canceling criminal procedures for 24 detained sailors.

"The decision of the ITLOS confirms our position on the events in the Sea of Azov.

We urge Russia to comply with this decision and immediately release the captured sailors, as well as return the seized ships," the office said.

In the meantime, the Russian Foreign Ministry insists that there is no possibility of invoking the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to resolve the issue.

Moscow repeatedly told the ITLOS that it would not take part in the hearings since this tribunal did not have jurisdiction to review Ukraine's claims.