Businessman Andrej Jakunin led the team of lawyers with John Christian Elden and Bernt Heiberg in Elden Advokatfirma. They are assisting alongside his appointed defender, attorney Jens Bernhard Herstad, they write in a press release Wednesday night.
The 47-year-old is detained for two weeks. He is accused of violating Section 4 of the Sanctions Act for flying a drone over Norwegian territory in Svalbard. According to the indictment, he flew in the period from July to October 16, and this could also have happened in many other places in Norway.
Satellite data shows that the boat sailed from Svalbard to Norway between 6 and 8 September.
The businessman’s boat is moored in Hammerfest. Sunday arrived.
Photo: Allan Klo / NRK
– Illegal ban
The sanctions that came after Russia’s war against Ukraine mean that the Russians cannot fly to Norwegian territory.
Now lawyers say the ban cannot apply to Svalbard.
They point out that Jakunin also has British citizenship. A Briton cannot be treated differently from Norwegian citizens, says Elden.
– Furthermore, it appears from the Svalbard Treaty that there is an absolute prohibition of discrimination on the basis of nationality alone in the archipelago. This is true regardless of whether he is considered British or Russian, writes John Christian Elden in the press release.
He says the man was open about drone flying as a leisure activity when he was on Svalbard.
– Our client has not broken the sanctioning rules and therefore his imprisonment is not legal either. The imprisonment will be appealed tonight and we expect the Court of Appeal to hear the case before the weekend, writes lawyer Bernt Heiberg.
According to satellite data, these are the movements of the boat since 27 September.
Northern Norway tour
The 27-meter-long sailboat arrived in Hammerfest at seven on Sunday morning.
The next day it was Andrei Yakunin arrested by police, suspected of piloting a drone in Svalbard. By then, it had been over six weeks since the ship had left Longyearbyen.
MarineTraffic data shows that the sailboat leaves Svalbard early in the morning of 6 September.
On 9 September the boat docks in Lyngseidet, where it remains until the next morning, and on 10 September it docks in Tromsø.
So no movement is recorded until September 27, so it’s a short trip to Tromsø Sound. Then, on the night of 8 October, it is launched again and the sailboat arrives in Alta on the evening of the same day.
After that, another four days pass, then the ship goes north to Hasvik. They stay here for three days, before arriving at the Hammerfest last Sunday.
