MV Amina, Iranian Cargo Ship fled from Sri Lankan Waters and defied orders of its High Court

The Iranian Cargo Ship MV Amina fled away from the waters of Sri Lanka after suffering detention by its Navy for about two months on 16 January 2013. Seizure of the ship was done after the DVB Bank obtained orders from the high Court of Colombo on 12 December 2012 to hold the vessel as it had to recover millions of dollars.

Seizure of the ship was done after the DVB Bank obtained orders from the high Court of Colombo to hold the vessel as it had to recover millions of dollars.

Sri Lankan Navy fired few shots to prevent the Cargo Ship MV Amina and hold her on it within 12 nautical miles of its water but was unable to capture it. The Sri Lankan Navy following the UN Law that states - if a ship is beyond 12 nautical miles from the shores of the nation than the country has no rights to take any action against the ship until and unless it has not committed any crime, didn’t tried to stop the ship after it crossed its water borders.

UN SEA LAW PART II for Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone

Section 2:  Limits of the Territorial Sea

Article 3: Breadth of the territoria sea: Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.

Article 4: Outer limit of the territorial sea: The outer limit of the territorial sea is the line every point of which is at a distance from the nearest point of the baseline equal to the breadth of the territorial sea.

Article 5: Normal baseline: Except where otherwise provided in this Convention, the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal State.

Ship MV Amina

The ship is managed by a Tehran-based Rahbaran Moid Darya Ship Management Company that as per the reports from the United States and European Union is a part of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) – the biggest cargo carrier from Iran.