PARIS, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The captain of the Tagor, an oil tanker which was stopped and boarded by the French Navy on Sunday, has been held in custody since Tuesday, the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern French city of Brest announced on Wednesday.
The captain, a Russian national, faces up to one year in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros (174,000 U.S. dollars), as well as the confiscation of the vessel, for failing to fly the proper flag and refusing to comply with orders at sea, according to the prosecutor's office.
On May 31, a French warship stopped Tagor 400 km from the French coastline in international waters, alleging that the vessel was sailing from Russia's Murmansk under a false flag.
Moscow deems France's detention of the tanker Tagor "illegal" and bordering on piracy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that France's actions in detaining Tagor violate international law, and Moscow demands that Paris provide full information about its move. ■
