Portuguese court acquits sailors who refused to follow Russian ship

A court in Portugal acquitted sailors who refused to go to sea to observe a Russian warship.

The Lisbon High Administrative Court (TCAS) acquitted 11 sailors from the Portuguese ship NRP Mondego. Gospodarka Morska reports.

On March 11, 2023, the sailors refused to go to sea to observe a Russian warship near the Madeira archipelago. Part of the crew of the NRP Mondego refused to obey the order due to, in their opinion, the unsatisfactory technical condition of the ship, which could pose a threat during the mission. They were then temporarily suspended from duty for a period of 10 to 90 days.

The court found that during the disciplinary proceedings, the sailors were not properly explained their rights and obligations. In addition, the penalties imposed were applied in violation of the procedure, since the accused were not given the opportunity to provide explanations after the completion of additional evidentiary actions.

Now the Portuguese sailors can demand compensation for disciplinary sanctions.

However, an inspection conducted in 2023 did not confirm the ship’s unfitness for the task. The Portuguese Navy announced its intention to appeal this court decision.

Earlier, USM wrote that Russian ships have increased their activity near the coast of Portugal.