The main hearing concerning the officers of the vessel Eagle S begins at the Helsinki District Court on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. Additional hearings are scheduled for August 27, September 1–3, September 5, and September 10, starting at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 209, according to Court's release.
The indictment relates to subsea cables damaged by the vessel’s anchor on December 25, 2024, within Finland’s exclusive economic zone. Prosecutors demand penalties for the captain and two officers on charges of aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with communications. The defendants have denied committing crimes.
The court will also examine whether it has jurisdiction, as the alleged acts occurred outside Finland’s territorial waters. The summons application and written responses of the defendants will become public after the case has been presented in oral proceedings, unless the court decides otherwise.
The Helsinki District Court is a Finnish general court of first instance, with jurisdiction over both civil and criminal matters in the Helsinki region.