Press Release

Prosecution Office of Albania is providing facilities for the Italian judicial authorities so the latter to seize the ship Norman Atlantic, which is currently in Albanian territorial waters, after a serious breakdown in which it is officially confirmed that 10 people died.

Prosecution Office of Albania is providing all procedural facilities that are necessary to help the Italian judicial authorities who have launched an investigation after the serious breakdown of the "Norman Atlantic" board, as a consequence of which is officially confirmed the death of 10 persons. Currently, the ship, which has lost the technical direction, is located in Albanian territorial waters.

Italian judicial authorities have the jurisdiction to investigate this issue, based on the "Convention on the Law of the Sea" of the United Nations, recognized by the Republic of Albania by Law no. 9055, dated on 24.04.2003. Specifically, in the Article 97 of the law no. 9055, is determined that "In case of collisions or other incident during the cruise in relation to a ship in the open seas and which includes the captain in legal or disciplinary liability or other persons on the vessel service, cannot stand either disciplinary or criminal proceedings against such persons, except for the judicial and administrative authorities of the State whose flag the ship holds, or of the state where such a person is a citizen".

Moreover, the Article 94 of the same law, determine, among other things that "... State of the flag and the other State shall cooperate to conduct any inquiry held by that other State (of flag) for any such breakdown or incident of cruise.

By the Italian authorities, namely the Prosecution Office at the Court of First Instance of Bari, was sent to the General Prosecution Office of Albania on 12.29.2014 a legal assistance request, with the object of the seizure of the ship "Norman - Atlantic" and of all devices that are in it, as well as conducting of a series of other investigations. This requirement is based on the fact that, according to official information arrived from the Italian judicial authorities, the ship is flying the Italian flag and its captain is an Italian citizen.

Today, on 12.30.2014, there are taken all the measures for the execution of the letter rogatory by the Prosecution Office at the Court of First Instance of Vlora.