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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 February 2022
Group alleges U.S. firm’s tanker illicitly traded Iran oil

By JON GAMBRELL Planet Labs PBC of that
Associated Press area obtained by the AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- appear to show the ships
ates (AP) — A tanker alongside each other.
owned by a Los Angeles- At sea, oil tankers can fun-
based private equity firm nel crude between each
likely took part in the illicit other in a ship-to-ship trans-
trade of Iranian crude oil fer that typically sees boats
at sea despite American in a similar position.
sanctions targeting the Is- In separate Planet Labs
lamic Republic amid the satellite images from Jan.
collapse of its nuclear deal 16, the Virgo appears to
with world powers, an ad- be loading crude oil from
vocacy group alleges. The Iran’s Khargh Island, its
firm said Thursday it is co- main oil distribution termi-
operating with U.S. govern- nal in the Persian Gulf.
ment investigators. Tracking data separate-
The group United Against ly shows the vessel near
Nuclear Iran raised its al- Khargh around that time
legations in a letter dated before heading to Singa-
Tuesday to Oaktree Capi- In this satellite photo provided by Planet Labs PBC, vessels identified as the Virgo, left, and the pore.
tal Management, which Suez Rajan by the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran are seen in the South China Sea United Nations records
holds assets worth over on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2022. show the Virgo’s owners
$160 billion. Satellite imag- Associated Press as a company out of Suri-
es and maritime tracking economic sanctions in- Oaktree subsidiary Fleet- ately respond to a request name, which could not be
data analyzed by The As- cluding those targeting its scape which owns the oil for comment. immediately reached for
sociated Press correspond crucial oil sales. tanker Suez Rajan said it is The U.S. Treasury, which comment.
to the group’s identifica- But Iran even under Ameri- “committed to using best investigates and enforc- Iran’s mission to the Unit-
tion of the vessels allegedly can sanctions claims to practices in its operations es sanctions, declined to ed Nations also did not
involved and showed them be selling billions of dollars and complying with U.S. comment. respond to a request for
side-by-side off the coast of more of crude than before, sanctions laws.” Satellite-tracking data from comment.
Singapore on Saturday. likely buoyed by energy “We take any allegation of MarineTraffic.com ana- Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal
The alleged oil transfer prices rising to their high- non-compliance very seri- lyzed by the AP showed with world powers saw it
comes as world powers est point in years amid the ously and are cooperating the Marshall Island-flagged regain the ability to sell oil
and Iran negotiate in Vien- ongoing Ukraine crisis. That fully with the U.S. authori- Suez Rajan in the South openly on the international
na over restoring the nucle- makes the sales even more ties to conduct a thorough China Sea off the northeast market.
ar deal. lucrative and increases investigation into this mat- of Singapore on Saturday. But in 2018, then-President
That accord saw Tehran the challenge of enforcing ter,” Fleetscape said. That data also shows the Donald Trump unilaterally
drastically limit its enrich- sanctions if the Vienna talks The company did not elab- Panamanian-flagged oil withdrew from the accord
ment of uranium in ex- collapse. orate. The U.S. State De- tanker Virgo in the same and re-imposed American
change for the lifting of In a statement to the AP, partment did not immedi- area. Satellite photos from sanctions. q

Thai royalists submit petition to oust Amnesty International

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai roy- ernment ministries that they site Government House in ruling elite, including the ment with the king as head
alists on Thursday stepped say is backed by more than Bangkok. Representatives courts and the military. of state.
up their campaign to drive a million signatures. from the Labor Ministry and Critics of the royal institu- The activists say they have
out the country’s branch About 200 protesters main- the National Security Coun- tion say it has too much in- gathered 1.2 million sig-
of rights group Amnesty In- ly clad in yellow, a color cil accepted envelopes fluence in politics and is not natures in support of their
ternational, handing over closely associated with the containing their demands. accountable. campaign, but that figure
copies of a petition to gov- monarchy gathered oppo- The group later submitted “We are here to proclaim has yet to be confirmed.
the petition to the Interior that what they have done Seksakol Atthawong, a vice
Ministry. from the past until now we minister in the Prime Minis-
The activists, members of are not happy with them, ter’s Office who has been
various small nationalist and we will ask our prime spearheading the move
groups, say Amnesty Inter- minister, General Prayuth against the organization,
national is a threat to the Chan-ocha, to take ac- was uncompromising as he
country’s peace and secu- tion with this,” said one of addressed the protesters
rity because it criticized a the protesters, 60-year-old on Thursday.
court ruling that said calls Chutima Liamthong. “Thailand lived in peace,
to reform the country’s The petition was launched Thailand lived normally un-
constitutional monarchy after Amnesty International til these people came to
are illegal. criticized the Constitutional support those who want to
The monarchy is revered Court for ruling that three overthrow the monarchy,
by many Thais and until pro-democracy activists destroy national security,
recently was almost uni- who had called for reform destroy the running of the
versally treated as a sac- of the monarchy were country, destroy the normal
Thai royalists protesters hold a sign against Amnesty International
Thailand during the protest in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Feb. rosanct pillar of Thai iden- committing sedition by at- Thai way of life and create
17, 2022. tity. Its reputation is fiercely tempting to overthrow the chaos in the country,” he
Associated Press guarded by the country’s nation’s system of govern- said.q