Russia 'kidnaps' American sailor

[Sea Change]

58 year old man sails the wrong way round on his journey to New Zealand, tried to hook up with a young Instagrammer, gets arrested for carrying guns aboard.

I believe this is what our American friends refer to as 'FAFO'?

Russia Takes American Voyager Hostage, Family Says

 

[Minerva]

Good.

I whole heartedly hope that should he be freed, he is promptly re-arrested by any other European county he has also smuggled firearms into on his journey.

 

[potentillaCO32]

“He was sailing from the U.S. to New Zealand, so of course he had a firearm on board. You can’t just call 911 if something goes wrong out at sea,” Zimmerman’s sister Robin Stultz said.....


Are these Muricans really this stoopid. Given he had passed through several other countries he is lucky he was arrested by a friend of the orange baffoon.

 

[Roberto]

Zimmerman had detoured to the Black Sea to wait out armed conflict around Israel and Gaza at the time,

Did he ever glance at a newspaper or a news web site during the past 3-4 years?

 

[lustyd]

Removed as off topic

 

[newtothis]

He'd have had fun arriving in NZ tooled up like that and thinking he'd walk into the country and a job.

 

[Roberto]

OT

 

[RunAgroundHard]

He had not entered Russian waters and was forced to sail 22 hours into Russian waters, at which point he was arrested for having guns onboard. He also appears to have been cooperative. He may or may not be naive about gun laws but it appears to me has got the wrong end of the shitty stick. Assuming he was on innocent passage, he has been forced into this position by the Russians.

 

[Minerva]

He had not entered Russian waters and was forced to sail 22 hours into Russian waters, at which point he was arrested for having guns onboard. He also appears to have been cooperative. He may or may not be naive about gun laws but it appears to me has got the wrong end of the shitty stick. Assuming he was on innocent passage, he has been forced into this position by the Russians.

“His ports of call, according to the Russians, included Horta in the Azores and ports on the Spanish island of Majorca, Sicily, Greece and Turkey”

So that’s 4 countries willingly plus now Russia he’s smuggled arms into. Zero sympathy.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

“His ports of call, according to the Russians, included Horta in the Azores and ports on the Spanish island of Majorca, Sicily, Greece and Turkey”

So that’s 4 countries willingly plus now Russia he’s smuggled arms into. Zero sympathy.

Do you support the Russian use of force to kidnap people at sea? The fact that Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey did not inspect his vessel, or perhaps he lied on the immigration forms, does not justify the Russians behaviour. I think your lack of empathy is misplaced based on my understanding the story in the OP.

 

[KevinV]

“His ports of call, according to the Russians, included Horta in the Azores and ports on the Spanish island of Majorca, Sicily, Greece and Turkey”

So that’s 4 countries willingly plus now Russia he’s smuggled arms into. Zero sympathy.

I found it quite extraordinary the sheer number of Americans in the Caribbean who thought that - their boat being US territory - their US right to bear arms outweighed local laws. It didn't even cross their minds they might be in the wrong. Those that knew they were in the wrong didn't think it was a big deal.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Do you support the Russian use of force to kidnap people at sea? The fact that Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey did not inspect his vessel, or perhaps he lied on the immigration forms, does not justify the Russians behaviour. I think your lack of empathy is misplaced based on my understanding the story in the OP.

The fact that he’s an idiot for taking his guns does not stop this being abduction, as you say. The Russians would have just come up with another pretext to hold him. Maybe it’ll help the Americans to sort out their friends from their enemies.

 

[lustyd]

off topic, removed

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It does follow the USA seizing a ship in international waters though (among other things), which sets a precedent of assuming sovereignty where it doesn't exist. It's therefore very difficult to push back on Russia with any credibility. I entirely agree with you, but if we're to expect international law to be recognised, we must all follow international law and be seen to be doing so.

His real mistake was to be sailing under his flag of registration, and being within the law.

 

[potentillaCO32]

Removed as off topic

Never stopped me before.

 

[lustyd]

removed under 4.3.1

 

[potentillaCO32]

Do you support the Russian use of force to kidnap people at sea? The fact that Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey did not inspect his vessel, or perhaps he lied on the immigration forms, does not justify the Russians behaviour. I think your lack of empathy is misplaced based on my understanding the story in the OP.

If you do decide to sail anywhere near the russians creaky tubs then anyone with 2 brain cells would make sure that they were squeeky clean in terms of paperwork and things on board.

Oh hang on he's American...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

If I was flying that flag right now I’d be setting a course for home.

Yes, well, clearly you are smarter than he is. I daresay you don’t carry a gun either. Still, you could be unlucky with a UK flag too. I think heks read too much into the US dealings with Russia, and mistaken them for a friend.

 

[ylop]

So much doesn't add up: going round the world with a handgun and rifle and expecting no issues - seems almost credible compared to going to the Black Sea because you thought the Red Sea was too volatile or sailing for weeks to visit a Russian woman you met on Instagram and sent flowers to.

 

[Forum Admin Team]

Thread suspended pending review.

Content and users removed (clause 4.3.1).