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WORLD NEWS Thursday 5 May 2022
Fiji says U.S. can seize Russian superyacht but not right away

By NICK PERRY til the merits of the U.S.
Associated Press warrant to seize the vessel
WELLINGTON, New Zealand were determined. Perhaps
(AP) — A judge in Fiji has reflecting the question over
ruled that U.S. authorities ownership, the court later
can seize a Russian-owned ordered Fijian prosecutors
superyacht — but has put to amend an original sum-
a hold on his order until at mons, which named just
least Friday while defense Kerimov, to also include
lawyers mount a challenge. Millemarin Investments Ltd.
The yacht Amadea — as a second respondent to
worth $325 million — had the case.
earlier been stopped from For now, the yacht contin-
leaving the South Pacific ues to sit in a Fijian harbor
nation because of its links with its crew of about 25
to Russia. That order will rotating on and off the ves-
stand for now, preventing sel, while a police officer re-
U.S. authorities from taking mains on board to ensure it
the yacht to Hawaii or else- stays put.
where. According to Boat Interna-
A question remains over tional, the Amadea is 106
which of two Russian oli- meters long and was built in
garchs really owns the The superyacht Amadea is docked at the Queens Wharf in Lautoka, Fiji, on April 15 2022. 2017. It features a stainless
Amadea, with only one Associated Press steel albatross that extends
of them facing sanctions. the creation of a team of vesting in Russian gold pro- owy trail of trusts and shell off the bow and weighs
There are also questions federal agents and pros- ducer Polyus, with Forbes companies. On paper, the more than 5 tons, a live
about how far U.S. jurisdic- ecutors to pursue wealthy magazine putting his net superyacht is registered in lobster tank in the galley, a
tion extends into Fiji. Russians or those aiding worth at $14.5 billion. the Cayman Islands and 10-meter (33-foot) pool, a
Suva High Court Justice Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But defense lawyers claim owned by Millemarin In- hand-painted Pleyel piano
Deepthi Amaratunga on The team, called Task Force the real owner is Eduard vestments Ltd., also based and a large helipad.
Tuesday granted an order KleptoCapture, was set up Khudainatov, the former in the Cayman Islands. The U.S. Embassy in Suva
allowing the U.S. to seize to seize assets belonging chairman and chief execu- Defense lawyers have earlier said in a statement
the superyacht after the to oligarchs with the aim of tive of Rosneft, the state- claimed in court that Mil- that the U.S. was acting
U.S. had earlier filed a war- pressuring Russia to end the controlled Russian oil and lemarin Investments Ltd. is with allies and partners
rant. But the judge has also war. The U.S. claims the real gas company. Khudaina- the legal owner of the ves- around the world to impose
allowed for a pause while owner of the superyacht tov currently does not ap- sel and that the company is costs on Russia because of
defense lawyers put to- Amadea is Suleiman Keri- pear to face any sanctions, linked to the real, or benefi- its "war of choice."
gether their challenge. mov. The economist and unlike many oligarchs and cial, owner, Khudainatov. "We continue to ratchet
The judge's next decision in former Russian politician people with close ties to But U.S. authorities have up the pressure on Putin's
the case will come on Fri- was sanctioned by the U.S. Russian President Vladimir claimed that behind all the oligarchs and we are work-
day, when he will decide in 2018 for alleged money Putin who have been sanc- various fronts, the real own- ing with allies and partners
whether to continue to put laundering and has faced tioned since the war be- er is Kerimov. to go after corrupt gains
a hold on the yacht's sei- further sanctions from Can- gan. On April 19, after the yacht from some of the individu-
zure pending a formal ap- ada, Europe, Britain and As with many superyachts, had sailed into Fiji from als closest to Putin, no mat-
peal by the defense. other nations after Russia determining the real own- Mexico, the High Court ter where they are held
The U.S. Justice Depart- invaded Ukraine. ership of the Amadea is in Suva ordered that the around the world," the em-
ment in March announced Kerimov made a fortune in- difficult due to the shad- Amadea not leave Fiji un- bassy said.q

Feminists rally for Argentine nuns who

denounced archbishop

SALTA, Argentina (AP) — nio Cargnello, Bishop emer- You" and "Enough of Vio-
Feminist groups have rallied itus Martín de Elizalde and lent Priests!"
to the support of 18 clois- vicar Lucio Ajalla of "physi- The woman joined hands
tered Carmelite nuns who cal, psychological and and spread out around the
have filed an unusual com- economic violence."The historic structure in a sym-
plaint of gender violence archbishop has denied the bolic hug.
against the local Catholic accusations and the posi- "Sometimes one thinks that
archbishop. tion of the other two is un- the sisters are in harmony, Women protest holding hands as they surround the San Bernardo
Dozens of activists gath- clear because they have in a contemplative live, but Convent in Salta, Argentina, Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
ered Tuesday in the espla- not given statements or of- the violence of the church Associated Press
nade of the Convent of ficially named attorneys. itself has made them say, Cargnello over their sup- placed at the funeral of a
St. Bernard in Salta, some Elizalde had been desig- 'enough!'" said Irene Cari port for a local woman who nun in 2020 and that Ajalla
1,400 kilometers (870 miles) nated by the Vatican to of the Forum of Women for professes to have seen vi- lunged at a nun to stop her
northwest of Buenos Aires. hear the nuns' complaints, Equal Opportunities, one sions of the Virgin Mary that filming the scene. They say
The nuns, members of the but they complain he had of several groups that par- he does not accept. the archbishop himself, as
Discalced Carmelites order, accepted the behavior ticipated in the demonstra- Attorneys for the nuns say well as Ajalla, hit the prior-
have filed a complaint with they denounced. tion. the archbishop was up- ess' arm when she recov-
a local court accusing Sal- Protesters carried posters The cloistered nuns have set when an image of the ered the device used to
ta Archbishop Mario Anto- reading "Sister, We Believe long been at odds with Madonna del Cerro was film.q