A Swedish court ruled on June 4 that the seizure of the cargo ship Caffa, detained off southern Sweden, was lawful and approved its transfer to Ukraine for further investigation [1, 2]. The Caffa was seized by Swedish police and coast guard in March after allegations it was sailing under a false flag and was not seaworthy [1, 2].
Ukraine is seeking the 96-meter general cargo ship as part of a probe into suspected war crimes involving the illegal transportation of grain from Russian-held territories [1, 2]. The court said the conduct related to the ship could constitute a war crime under Swedish law [1, 2]. Most of the vessel's 11 crew members are Russian nationals [1, 2].
Public prosecutor Hakan Larsson said, "The court has confirmed that the seizure of the CAFFA, etc., was legally founded and that the vessel may be surrendered to Ukraine" [1]. The court ruling must become legally binding before the handover can happen. The ship’s owners have three weeks to file an appeal [1, 2].
The Caffa remains in custody in Sweden pending the appeal deadline and completion of legal formalities. The case continues amid Ukraine’s investigation into suspected war crimes involving maritime grain shipments from conflict zones.
