Arctic Sea 'pirate' says they were welcomed on board

Eight alleged hijackers of the Maltese-registered cargo ship Arctic Sea were actually welcomed on board after being rescued in the Baltic Sea, a lawyer has been quoted as saying by the BBC.

Konstantin Baranovsky, who represents one of the eight alleged pirates, said they had been testing a navigation system on a small boat when they got into difficulties and were rescued by the ship.

The eight men are being held in Moscow on kidnapping and piracy charges.

Mr Baranovsky said the eight men were offered vodka, and allowed to use the ship's gym.

Their ill-fated venture had apparently begun on the morning of 24 July when they set off from the coast of Estonia in a Zodiac inflatable boat.

Mr Baranvosky's client Dmitri Bartenev told him they were testing out a navigation system before starting environmental work off the Estonian coast.

As they headed out into the Baltic Sea they encountered bad weather and lost their way.

Moscow has dismissed claims that the ship had been secretly carrying S-300 missiles destined for Iran. It said it was carrying wood.

In his statement, Mr Bartenev did say he saw a large amount of wood on board, although he did not actually look inside the hold.

The BBC said the level of detail given in this account was striking and it was likely to fuel suspicions that the eight alleged pirates were set up to try to save Russia the embarrassment of explaining what the Arctic Sea was really carrying.

Sources close to Israeli intelligence had said the piracy story was a cover to give the Russians time to intercept the ship which was allegedly transporting an air defence system for Iran.

Baranovsky told the BBC he had seen crucial evidence given by the Arctic Sea crew to Russian investigators.

"In their evidence some of the crew said that two days before they (the alleged pirates) were rescued, about twenty men who looked like police had boarded the ship from a speed-boat," he said.

"The crew said these men were looking for something."

But then, according to Mr Baranovsky, the crew added they had been told to say this by the alleged pirates.