Hamburg, 1 July. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, today, by eighteen votes to two declared that Guinea violated the rights of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in arresting the M/V "Saiga" and awarded Saint Vincent and the Grenadines US$ 2,123,357 with interest as compensation. In doing so it allotted compensation for the detention of the Captain and the crew, for the gunshot injuries to the Second Officer and another, the confiscated cargo and the damage to the vessel. The Tribunal also decided that Guinea had used excessive force when arresting the vessel.

The Tribunal rejected the claim by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines that Guinea violated its rights by naming Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as civilly responsible in the schedule of summons against the Master of the Saiga. The Tribunal also rejected Saint Vincent’s claim that Guinea violated its rights by failing to promptly release the Saiga and its crew. In previous proceedings, the Tribunal ordered its release on the deposit of a security.