By Jagoda Darlak
June 5 (Reuters) - A Swedish court has ruled that the seizure of a cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea was lawful and that the ship can be handed over to Ukraine, where it is suspected of illegally transporting grain from Russian-occupied territory.
Swedish police and the coast guard seized the vessel, the Caffa, off southern Sweden in March, alleging it was sailing under a false flag and violated maritime and ship safety laws due to a lack of seaworthiness.
A lawyer for the owner, Caffa Shipping Limited, had challenged the seizure and sought the vessel's release, according to the June 4 ruling.
Ukraine is seeking the ship as part of an investigation into suspected war crimes involving the appropriation and removal of property from Russian-occupied territory, the court said.
"The court has confirmed that the seizure of the CAFFA, etc., was legally founded and that the vessel may be surrendered to Ukraine," public prosecutor Hakan Larsson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
The district court said the alleged conduct could constitute a war crime under Swedish law, clearing the way for the transfer of the vessel and related evidence to Ukrainian authorities.
Larsson said the ruling must become legally binding before any transfer can take place, adding that the owners have three weeks to appeal.
Caffa Shipping's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Most of the Caffa's 11 crew members were Russian, police said at the time of the seizure. The vessel is a 96-metre general cargo ship, according to ship-tracking service MarineTraffic.
(Reporting by Jagoda Darlak. Editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Potter)
