“The sinking of ESTONIA is the worst peacetime maritime disaster on the Baltic Sea, in which 852 people from 17 countries perished,” said Minister of Justice Raivo Aeg. “The families of the victims have applied for additional investigation of the sinking of ESTONIA and before we can give them a substantial answer, we wish for the top experts to give a current assessment of the possible launch of the re-investigation and the circumstances related thereto.”

In last October, Tallinn Administrative Court made a decision that obligated to government to respond to the application of Swedish citizens regarding the launch of administrative proceedings to re-investigate the sinking of ESTONIA.

The working group of experts will be led by the secretary general of the Ministry of Justice; the members of the working group will include representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and Ministry of the Interior as well as experts in the field.

During the discussions of the cabinet meeting, the government also adopted a resolution pursuant to which Raivo Aeg, Minister of Justice, shall give a response to the people applying for the re-investigation of the sinking of ESTONIA regarding the steps taken by the government.

ESTONIA sank on the night of 28 September 1994, en route from Tallinn to Stockholm. In 1994–1997, the sinking was investigated by a joint committee of the governments of Estonia, Finland, and Sweden, and in 2005–2009, by a government committee led by the Prosecutor’s Office. In 1995, Estonia, Finland, and Sweden entered into an agreement regarding the peace of the shipwreck, which prohibits diving to the wreck.