Ship crew denied port entry, face deportation

Crew members of the Bandero, a ship associated with the animal rights activist Paul Watson, claim they requested permission to enter Icelandic waters but were denied entry to port. The ship was directed to Sundahöfn after the crew displayed threatening behavior towards the whaling vessel Hval 9. Police have requested the crew's deportation and a ban on their return.

The crew's request for permission to enter Icelandic waters may seem unusual, as ships from other nations have the right to peaceful passage within Iceland's 12-nautical-mile territorial sea under international law. However, Icelandic authorities can require a ship to leave territorial waters if there is suspicion that its passage is not peaceful.

Information officials for the Icelandic Coast Guard have not yet commented on whether they received such requests from the Bandero's crew or how they responded. Meanwhile, the ship's crew has been prevented from disembarking at Sundahöfn. Journalists who boarded the ship spoke with crew members Shannon Mann and Beck Straussner, who criticized the actions of the police and coast guard. They stated they could not comment on the events of Thursday evening due to the ongoing police investigation, as advised by their lawyer.

The crew members also noted that Paul Watson Foundation's lawyer was prevented from boarding the ship and that they have been assigned defense attorneys. Mann accused the police of attempting to bribe crew members, offering them one phone call in exchange for the passwords to their phones.