KARWAR: It’s been more than three months, but the 18 fishermen from Uttara Kannada, who were detained in Iran, continue to be under ‘boat arrest’. They had gone fishing off the Dubai coast when they were detained. Now, the fishermen on Monday sent another video requesting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them get released.
The fishermen, who were working in Dubai, were arrested by Iranian security personnel for allegedly entering Iran waters off the Dubai coast in two separate incidents — on July 27 and August 25 — near Kish Island.
In the new video, all the 18 fishermen can be seen staying in two boats which are anchored at Kish Island. One of them, Usman Bombaikar says, “We are hoping that the Indian government will come forward to help us. Minister Sushma Swaraj took initiatives to rescue many Indians who were stranded abroad. Likewise, she should help us get rescued from Iran”.