On Wednesday, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal reviewed the ruling from Nord-Troms and Senja District Court, where Jakunin was requested to be released. The ruling states that Yakunin must remain in custody for another four weeks. The drone pilot was arrested in Hammerfest on 17 October. Yakunin has an estimated fortune of close to NOK 3 billion. That’s what ForumDaily writes, citing the Delovoy Peterburg newspaper. He was thus able to afford to bring in several lawyers in addition to his publicly appointed defender. Bernt Heiberg and John Christian Elden from Elden Advokatfirma wrote an extensive appeal, which news has seen. Bernt Heiberg and John Christian Elden from Elden Advokatfirma have attacked the imprisonment of Yakunin from several angles. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Should be released from custody Yakunin was charged and detained for having flown a drone in Svalbard, in violation of the sanctions against Russia. He is the son of a Russian businessman with ties to Vladimir Putin. But last Thursday, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal said that the Sanctions Act does not cover flying with drones. Thus, Yakunin was to be released from custody. But then the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s appeals committee overturned the Hålogaland Court of Appeal’s ruling on the release of Andrey Yakunin. But on Monday, the original remand order expired. PST wanted to extend this until the case goes to court on 29 November. But they were not approved by Nord-Troms and Senja District Court. The District Court says it is uncertain whether the sanctions regulations are in conflict with the Svalbard Treaty. Due to this uncertainty, the district court believes that keeping Yakunin in custody is a disproportionately large deprivation of liberty. – In a thorough ruling, the district court has come to the conclusion that the case raises difficult legal problems, which will probably not be resolved for several years. The court follows our argument on all points, said Yakunin’s defender, lawyer Bernt Heiberg. On 17 October, Andrey Yakunin was arrested in Hammerfest, where his boat docked in the morning the day before. Photo: ALLAN KLO, news / PRIVATE New appeal from PST PST then appealed the district court’s ruling to the Court of Appeal. Thus, Yakunin had to sit in custody until the appeal was processed. news met Yakunin’s lawyers outside Tromsø prison, shortly after they were told that PST was appealing. – In our view, it is an incorrect and a very unfortunate decision, says Heiberg about the appeal to PST. – In a situation where the appeal body has found that an act is not punishable, then the person concerned should be released immediately. Yakunin’s lawyers Bernt Heiberg and Jens Bernhard Herstad believe that the PST appeal was a very unfortunate decision. Photo: Aurora Berg / news These are the Russians who have been caught with drones: 11 October: A 50-year-old was caught at the border at Storskog. He was initially remanded in custody for two weeks, and will be produced for extended custody on Thursday. 14 October: A 51-year-old was arrested at Tromsø Airport. Remanded in custody for two weeks, appeal rejected by the Court of Appeal. 17 October: Businessman Andrey Yakunin (47) was arrested in Hammerfest. Imprisoned for two weeks, but appealed. 20 October: A Russian in his 30s was arrested in Ullensvang. He has been remanded in custody by the Court of Appeal and has appealed to the Supreme Court. The map shows drone sightings near important infrastructure such as airports, military installations and oil and gas fields since 15 September. Only observations that can be located with a certain degree of accuracy are included in the map. Photo: Susanne Stubberud Rom / news
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