Finland seized a Russian oil tanker Eagle S on suspicion of damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 link.
A Finnish court has rejected a request for his release oil container is suspected by the police of destroying an undersea power line and four communication cables in the Baltic Sea.
Last week, Finland seized the Russian oil tanker Eagle S on suspicion of damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and telecommunications cables the day before by dragging its anchor out to sea.
A lawyer representing the United Arab Emirates, Caravella LLC FZ, which owns the tanker, demanded that the ship and its crew be released.
“This district court has rejected the defendant's claim, which means that the expropriation is still valid,” Helsinki District Court judge Tatu Koistinen said on Friday.
Finnish lawyer Herman Ljungberg, who represented Caravella, said the company plans to file a new motion to free the vessel.
Finland's National Bureau of Investigation seized the ship and Finland's customs office seized its cargo of 35,000 tonnes of unleaded petrol as it investigates whether sanctions against Russia have been breached.
The customs agency believes that Eagle S is part of a shadow ships of aging tankers used to evade sanctions for selling Russian oil.
Ljungberg, who has accused Finland of seizing the Eagle S in international waters, said on Friday that his legal documents sought to make public where the seizure took place, but the court rejected it.
The owners of the property also want their release, the lawyer said.
The Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands, was brought near the Finnish port of Porvoo where the police are currently collecting evidence and questioning the crew, who are citizens of Georgia and India.
Finnish police say eight people involved in the investigation are suspected.
Sweden said on Friday it had also sent a warship to help the Finnish search.
“With their unique expertise, the Swedish military is helping Finland to shed light on what happened,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement.
The Baltic Sea countries have been on high alert after disruptions to power lines, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia annexed Ukraine in 2022.
NATO said last week it would expand its presence in the region.
The European Union has also announced additional measures to protect submarine cables by improving intelligence sharing and the use of new detection and repair technologies.