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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
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