Interior Minister Demands Answers From Interpol
The Interior Ministry has sent a promised letter to Interpol, inquiring why a warrant notice concerning IRL politician Eerik-Niiles Kross had been posted on the eve of Estonia's recent elections.
The timing of the notice, publicly viewable on the international police organization's database, was widely condemned in Estonia, including by the prime minister, who denounced it as politically motivated.
Estonian prosecutors have followed suit, saying there is no evidence to tie Kross to the case. European authorities had launched a case in Estonia in 2009, but prosecutors say Russia has refused to share all of its allegedly incriminating information concerning Kross.
Kross is wanted by Russian authorities for allegedly hijacking a ship in 2009. Russia tried to post a notice of its warrant already last year, but Interpol initially blocked it while an independent committee examined the case, reported uudised.err.ee.
Kross, who denies the accusation, blamed the notice on Russian meddling, calling it a secret service provocation.
The ship, the Arctic Sea, was transporting 1.3 million pounds worth of timber from Finland to Algeria when it disappeared and the crew was seized on July 24, 2009. It resurfaced on August 17 of that year.
Observers have speculated that the vessel had, in fact, not been carrying timber, but weapons destined for Iran.
In 2010 and 2011, Russian courts sentenced eight men, some from Estonia and Latvia, to between 5 and 12 years in prison for hijacking the Arctic Sea.
One defendant allegedly said that Kross had organized the operation.