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Crew of seized plane turns to Kazakh president in Thai court

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The four Kazakh crew members of an arms-laden cargo plane seized in Bangkok in mid-December have asked the president of Kazakhstan to defend them as they face major charges for illegal transportation of weapons.

The four Kazakh crew members of an arms-laden cargo plane seized in Bangkok in mid-December have asked the president of Kazakhstan to defend them as they face major charges for illegal transportation of weapons.

An Il-76 cargo plane carrying 35 tons of weaponry from North Korea was seized during refueling at Bangkok's Don Muang airport on December 12. Officials said the weapons included portable anti-aircraft missile systems and spare parts for ground-to-air missiles shipped from North Korea to an undetermined destination.

In a statement handed over to the Kazakh Vremya paper, four crew members addressed Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, reiterating that they were unaware of the military nature of the cargo. The fifth crew member is from Belarus.

"Our detention on a frame-up charge is a violation of our rights and freedoms," the crew said. "We ask your protection and your interference as a guarantor of interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its citizens."

The entire crew was arrested following the seizure of the aircraft and cargo and taken to a Bangkok prison.

"We were making a flight ordered by the Air West Georgia company and the plane's lessee, AirTech company, from Ukraine. In line with a contract, we should have transported a 35-ton civil cargo from Pyongyang to Kiev. The flight to Pyongyang was made on schedule... After landing in Pyongyang on December 10, 2009, in the evening, we went to a hotel," the crew, which is now being held in the Bangkok Remand prison, said in the statement.

According to the statement, the next morning, when the crew arrived at the airport, they found the cargo packed in wooden and iron boxes and sealed.

"We were not allowed to inspect the cargo," the crew said, adding "according to documents, the cargo consisted of 'mechanical parts,' and looked similar to oil drilling equipment."

The crew may be charged with illegal storage and transportation of weapons and providing false information. A UN resolution bans the transportation of certain weapons, including conventional arms, to or from North Korea, which is under international sanctions.

"If anything revealed it was a military cargo, the crew would refuse to transport it," the detainees said in the statement, adding they were not present when the cargo was unsealed at Bangkok's Don Muang airport.

The detainees said they were being held in poor conditions in the Bangkok prison.

"There are 30-40 people in our wards, we sleep on the floor, on a thin blanket, there are no pillows, no light, food is awful and inedible," they said.

The crew was originally detained for 12 days. However, they have spent already a month behind bars, as the term was extended by the Thai court. According to the detainees, the court has a right to prolong the 12-day term seven times.

Earlier this month, the Thai court refused to release the detainees on bail. The next court hearing is scheduled for January 18.

ASTANA, January 12 (RIA Novosti)

 

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