– I am sure that the appeal will lead to an acquittal. That is what Andrey Yakunin, acquitted of the drone, says at a press conference on Thursday. He says that he is not angry with the Norwegian state after the charge. – My gut feeling was that I hadn’t done anything wrong, he says. Yakunin praises his defenders for the efforts they have put in to get him acquitted. On Wednesday, a unanimous district court in Tromsø acquitted the British-Russian citizen and businessman of having flown a drone in Svalbard. The prosecutor has confirmed that the verdict will be appealed. – If the district court’s judgment becomes the final judgment, it will mean that the other four drone judgments are annulled. That is why it is important to get a legal clarification on this question, says prosecutor Kristin Røhne to news. Drone acquitted Andrey Yakunin at a press conference on Thursday. Yakunin is sad that he has to return to Tromsø in January to defend himself once again. – I have learned more about drone legislation than I thought I needed to know, he says. Yakunin says they must ensure that the situation is communicated as clearly as possible, and that the acquittal stands. – It is not a crime for a British man to fly a hobby drone in Svalbard, he states. Still loves Norway Yakunin says that he now longs to see his family after so long in Norway. – I want to celebrate Christmas with my family, he says. He says that his family is relieved that he has now been acquitted. Yakunin says that he still loves Norway and Norwegian nature. Next on the list is Romsdalen, and to travel back to Lyngen again. He does not want to comment on the reason for his detention. – It is a challenging situation for anyone, he says. It is unpleasant to be in an environment where your actions are limited and regulated, says Yakunin about the imprisonment. Russia and the Kremlin When asked what he thinks about all the media attention, and the questions about connections to the Kremlin and Putin, he replies that he received much more attention than he had expected. – It would be very nice to get so much attention for something we had done in the Arctic, but not for this situation, he says. May have consequences for other drone defendants Lawyer John Christian Elden is Yakunin’s defender. Elden believes that the judgments in other drone cases must now be overturned. Four Russians were arrested in October for flying a drone. Lawyer John Christian Elden in Nord Troms and Senja District Court. Photo: Pål Hansen / news Didn’t know about the ban The 47-year-old businessman Andrey Yakunin has dual citizenship, both Russian and British. He currently lives in Italy. Yakunin was charged with violating the sanctions that prohibit Russian citizens from flying drones in Norwegian airspace. Yakunin himself explained in Nord-Troms and Senja district court that he did not know about the drone ban, and that he considers himself to be most connected to Great Britain. The prosecution requested 120 days in prison. He has now been acquitted, but a final verdict will not come until the appeal has been submitted and processed. Yakunin is the son of a Russian businessman who is said to have ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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