On September 22, Mr. Verbraeken detained for and held in solitary confinement in the isolation ward for 48 hours by acting Sakhalin Nature Conservation Prosecutor Sergei Mochalov.
The Cristoforo Colombo ran aground near Kholmsk on September 8 and approximately 200 metric tons of fuel from the vessel polluted the sea and the shore. The captain is suspected of committing a crime due to carelessness.
His detention was in keeping with Russian legislation on the investigation of a criminal case. The case was filed on September 14 under the article of the Criminal Code "Pollution of the Maritime Environment."
Mr. Verbraeken could face two years in prison and a fine.
According to preliminary estimates, the oil spill caused Russia more than 57 million rubles (about $2 million) in damages.
However, the Sakhalin region prosecutor's office said an alternative form of restraint, possibly bail, could be used for Mr. Verbraeken.
