Fifty six Indian fishermen remain detained in Iran by the Iran Coast Guard since October 10 for crossing the Iran international maritime border while they were fishing in the sea.
Twenty-nine of them were fishing in the Qatar Sea and the others were sailing from Dubai. Of them, 10 are from Thiruvananthapuram, and two them have been identified as Johni, 34, from Parithiyur and Pencin, 28, from Vizhinjam. Details regarding the others are not yet known. All are detained at the Pandher fishing harbour of Ikkish Island in Iran.
“The detained were not produced before any court and have not been provided food or clothes on all these days. They are forced to remain in the fishing boat. Even medicines are not supplied to the needy,’’ alleged South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF) general secretary Fr Churchil in a press meet here on Tuesday. Though the Indian Embassy in Doha and Iran have conducted their own enquiry, it could not do anything for the release of the fishermen, he alleged. “Qatar state co-ordinator of SAFF and state secretary have sought the help of an Iran national to send them money for food,’’ he added. Speaking on the occasion, Nizar Kochery, legal advisor to the SAFF, urged the government to issue common ID cards to the fishermen and stressed the need for the Indian Government to enter into bilateral treaties with the Gulf counties for protecting migrant fishermen.
They said that after meeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, he had assured them that the govt would approach the External Affairs Ministry seeking the release of the fishermen.