A prison for Barentsburg
The best political ideas come from Russia these days (and just in case someone does not understand the sarcasm here: the complete opposite is obviously the case). Member of parliament Ivan Sukharev said according to Barents-Observer that Russia should build a prison for terrorists in Spitsbergen to isolate them there. Alternatively, he suggested Novaya Zemlya, a Russian arctic island southeast of Svalbard. It would be nothing less than a revival of the terrible Gulag system of Sovjet times.
Norwegian law fully applies in the Russian settlement Barentsburg in Spitsbergen.
The Russians can run a coal mine and tourism, but no prison.
The Norwegian Sysselmester (high government representative) Lars Fause quickly made clear that the whole territory of Svalbard including the Russian settlements are under Norwegian law and sovereignty. No state or other entity other than the Norwegian state is entitled to carry out duties of sovereigny such as criminal prosecution, including running a prison. Russian does not have any sovereign rights in Svalbard. According to the Spitsbergen Treaty, a Russian company such as Trust Arktikugol may run a coal mine or tourism on their properties in Barentsburg and Pyramiden, but nothing that involves sovereign rights.
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last modification: 2024-09-10 ·
copyright: Rolf Stange