UN court orders release of Argentine ship in Ghana

BERLIN: A United Nations court has ordered the immediate release of an Argentine navy sailing ship seized in Ghana.
The ARA Libertad training ship was impounded Oct. 2 in the port of Tema at the behest of private creditors as collateral for unpaid bonds dating from Argentina’s economic crisis a decade ago.
The Hamburg, Germany-based UN’s International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ordered Ghana on Saturday to release the ship and its crew immediately and unconditionally. It also ordered that the ship should be resupplied as needed.
The ruling said warships enjoy immunity under international law and seizing the ship was “a source of conflict that may endanger friendly relations among states.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the ruling is final and whether it can be appealed.