BIRN Albania journalists have spotted a cargo ship, MV Kathrin, recently involved in a controversy about arms for Israel, in an Albanian private port, 24 hours after going dark in the Ionian sea.

The ship, which originally set off from Haiphong, Vietnam, was discovered to be carrying explosives, including TNT and RDX, reportedly bound for Israel.

This raised concerns due to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, with multiple human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, urging countries to deny the ship entry to their ports, fearing the cargo could contribute to war crimes.

The ship has faced multiple rejections from ports. Namibia revoked its docking permission in August 2024 after it was found that the ship was carrying military-grade explosives, citing concerns over potential involvement in the Gaza conflict.

The vessel has also faced entry denials from other countries, including Malta and Slovenia, further complicating its voyage as it attempts to find a port to offload its cargo.

Amnesty International has called for an embargo on such shipments, warning that the explosives could be used in attacks on civilians. MV Kathrin has since changed its flag to a German one, adding more complexity to its journey as it continues to try to avoid port rejections.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, and Amnesty International have both raised serious concerns that the originally Portuguese-flagged vessel is carrying explosives destined for Israel.

Albanese said the cargo, reportedly containing eight containers of materials essential for aircraft bombs and missiles, posed a risk of contributing to war crimes in Gaza. She urged countries to block the ship from docking to prevent the transfer of these explosives.

Amnesty International echoed these concerns, calling for Slovenia, Montenegro and other countries to deny the ship entry, also citing the risk of facilitating war crimes.

“International humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits all states from transferring weapons to a party to an armed conflict where there is a clear risk that doing so would contribute to the commission of war crimes or other serious IHL violations,” said Patrick Wicken, Researcher on Military, Security and Policing Issues at Amnesty, stressing that this obligation includes also merchandizes in transit or their access in any seaport.

“If this ship has docked in an Albanian port, Albania risks breaching their obligation not to encourage, aid or assist in violation of the Geneva Conventions,” Wicken added.

Amnesty highlighted the obligations under international humanitarian law and the Arms Trade Treaty, which prohibit transferring weapons when there is a clear risk they may be used in violations such as war crimes.

(Source: BIRN)