divers in trouble

Support site for British dive team threatened with EU Arrest Warrant

Did you know that regardless of the standard of evidence you can be forced to stand trial in an EU country without the evidence first being examined in a British court?

Take care when travelling in the EU. It could be your turn next. Suspected terrorists are not the only people who can be persecuted on account of the new law.

In May 2002 a team of four British divers were suddenly picked up by the Spanish police in Corrubedo in Galicia (Spain). The team had been diving on the wreck of the 'Friesland', a Dutch East Indiaman which went down in 1877 with a cargo of tin ingots. A Spanish archaeologist valued the few artefacts brought to the surface to identify the wreck as having a nominal value of one euro. A Spanish police diving team produced a report saying no damage had been done. The dive company, Force 9 Salvage based in Falmouth, had all the necessary permits to bring up this cargo and the Spanish Government were partners in the venture. However, in spite of the absence of evidence, local police are accusing the divers of theft and damage to Spanish heritage. Locally there is a belief that a treasure ship, the 'Don Pedro', was wrecked in the area though it is reasonable to assume that if this were true the treasure would have been brought up long ago.

Read Steve Russ's or Malcolm Cubin's full accounts of what happened.

Because of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) which came into force on 1st January 2004, a British citizen can be shipped abroad when accused of virtually anything by an EU country regardless of the standard of evidence. British citizens are unable to have the evidence first tested in a British court because British courts are now subservient to EU law. The accused have to undergo a trial in the foreign country with obvious consequences to the person and their family. Not all countries have the same traditions of protecting the individual as the British justice system used to.

Last updated 27th August 2006