Gibraltar’s Supreme Court on Thursday approved the immediate release of Grace1, an Iranian oil tanker seized off the country’s coast last month despite eleventh-hour efforts by the United States to block it.
Charles Gomez, a lawyer present at the hearing said: “the Chief Justice of Gibraltar was told that the Chief Minister of Gibraltar has issued a directive to the effect that the vessel is no longer covered within the ambit of the EU sanctions and as a result the court has noted, has taken note of the fact that it is no longer covered and if it is no longer covered there is no compunction for the ship to continue to be arrested, the arrest therefore is no longer valid and the vessel can leave immediately.”
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo decided to lift the detention order after Tehran confirmed in writing they would not discharge the oil in Syria.