The human rights organization Amnesty International is calling for a small cargo ship to be blocked from entering ports in Europe due to the belief the vessel is transporting explosives bound for Israel. The group says that permitting the vessel to transport these materials violates international regulations.
The ship has been the center of a controversy since it departed Vietnam in late July. The ship named Kathrin (8,000 dwt) registered in Portugal and operated by a company based in Germany has been hounded by activists as it made its trip to Europe. It made a stop in Singapore for fueling before making the transit across the Indian Ocean to Africa.
Activists spotted the vessel when it requested a stop in Namibian in late August. The protestors were successful in raising concern with the government and got the vessel denied its port stop. Days later, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese said that there were eight containers of explosives aboard Kathrin “reportedly key components in the aircraft bombs and missiles” used by Israel. Albanese called on other states to block the ship from docking at their harbors.
“The deadly cargo believed to be on board the Kathrin must not reach Israel,” said Natasa Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia in a statement released on October 1. The statement was issued as the Kathrin approached Bar, Montenegro after a refueling stop off Malta last week.
The well-known human rights NGO group contends the vessel has eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives bound for Israel among its cargo. They said the vessel would dock in the port of Koper in Slovenia where they expected the cargo would be offloaded. Amnesty admitted that it was unclear how the cargo would reach Israel.
“Namibia rightfully upheld its international obligations by ensuring that the MV Kathrin did not transit military cargo to Israel through its port. Now it is up to Slovenia, Montenegro, and all other states to do the same and avoid facilitating an unlawful transfer,” said Posel in a statement on behalf of the group.
According to Amnesty International, international humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits all states from transferring weapons to a party to an armed conflict where there is a clear risk that doing so would contribute to the commission of war crimes or other serious IHL violations.
Word of the controversy has reached Montenegro where media reports said authorization to dock has been withdrawn. They believe the ship will continue sailing going to Croatia.
Amnesty International also used the situation to call for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and on Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. The NGO highlights that any state that knowingly transfers arms to the parties in the ongoing conflict, including via transit of ships carrying arms and explosives, risks breaching its obligation not to encourage, aid or assist in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
The activists are also demanding that Portugal as the ship’s flag state investigate the situation. They want Portugal to revoke the ship’s registry.