– The court has concluded that Andrey Yakunin could not have known that it would be illegal for him to fly drones in Svalbard. That is what Yakunin’s lawyer John Christian Elden says in a press release. The British-Russian businessman has now been acquitted twice in the District Court, and once in the Court of Appeal for illegal drone flights in Svalbard. Because the Supreme Court overturned his acquittals, the case goes through another round in the judiciary. The reason for the acquittal on Wednesday is that he was not aware that what he did was illegal when it happened. The acquittal will be appealed, says public prosecutor Jan Glent. – We believe that he can be punished, and that it was a negligent act, says Glent. The public prosecutor says that the expert judge agreed, but that he was in the minority. This is the Yakunin case Photo: Pål Hansen / news British-Russian Andrey Yakunin was arrested in Hammerfest on 17 October 2022 for having flown a drone in Svalbard. The businessman was put in custody for 51 days. On 11 November 2022, Yakunin is charged with breaching the Sanctions Act. The sanctions regulations prohibit Russians from operating aircraft and drones in Norway. Yakunin acknowledged having flown the drone in Svalbard, but stated that he should be considered a British citizen and not Russian. Although the police found a Russian passport on board his boat “Firebird”. On 7 December 2022, Yakunin will be acquitted in Nord-Troms and Senja district court. The prosecuting authorities appealed the case further to the Court of Appeal. On 2 February 2023, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal also acquitted Yakunin. The prosecuting authorities are appealing the case further to the Supreme Court. On 30 June 2023, the Supreme Court annulled both the district court and the court of appeal’s acquittal of Yakunin. On 25 January 2024, a new trial started against Andrey Yakunin in Nord-Troms and Senja district court. The District Court believes that the drone ban also applies to Svalbard, and that European human rights do not stand in the way of a drone ban. Elden says that they take the court’s assessment into account, even if they do not agree with all the conclusions. – The most important thing for Yakunin is to be believed that he has done nothing wrong during his holiday trip to Svalbard almost 2 years ago, says Elden. It was the summer of 2022 that Andrey Yakunin flew a drone during a sailing trip in Svalbard. Yakunin is the son of a Russian businessman who is said to have ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In previous court rounds, both the District Court and the Court of Appeal have held that drones are not covered by the flight ban imposed on Russian citizens, and have therefore acquitted Yakunin. After Yakunin was acquitted in both the District Court and the Court of Appeal, the case was sent to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court quashed the acquittal of both the District Court and the Court of Appeal, and thus the case was sent back to the District Court.
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Businessman Andrey Yakunin is acquitted for the second time – news Troms and Finnmark
