Iran detains 25 fishermen

Manama : A group of 25 Indian fishermen have reportedly been detained by Iran for allegedly violating the territorial waters of the country. All the  fishermen hail from Kanyakumari, India.

 The first set of four boats that had set sail from Kingdom on the March 8 was detained on  March 12. The fifth boat that sailed on March 22 was detained the next day, it was stated.

 “The fishermen informed me that they did not enter into the Iran waters. Iran forces arrested them while they were fishing in the high seas. They are kept in Kish Island under strict surveillance of the harbour officials,” Justin Anthony, Founder President of INFIDET (International Fishermen Development Trust) told DT News.

“The fishermen were forced to sign some documents written in Iranian language which they did not know. Their passports have been taken away and are denied food and drinking water.”

“Their sponsors have neither visited nor communicated to them. The torture they’re going through is disheartening as these fishermen are forced to stand under the hot sun for two hours daily. We request the officials to take action on this situation urgently,” he told.

One of the sponsors Mohammed Hassan( Boat No: BH 5553) told DT News that the fishermen did not enter the territorial waters of Iran.

 “I spoke to the captain of the boat and asked him to send the location. According to the location they were not in the Iran territory. I contacted the embassy a few days back to get them out of this situation and also sent them food,” he said.

 He also blamed Iranian officials for regularly detaining fishermen and torturing them. 

Those detained are Jegan 37, Jenish 20, Jose Prince, 24, Arokia John Yufur, 20 Jesudasan, 38, Arokia Ebes Borgio,  20, Baskalis, 30, Anthony pichai 27, Antony Soosai, 36, Antony pramod,  25, Borjio Francis, 40, Victor, 38, Visuvasam, 50, Arokia Bervin Besky 33, Arul Vivek 28, Arun Prajidan, 27, Sajan, 23, Savio, 25, William Prabu, 33, Josep Besky, 34, Dominic Savio, 24, Nisanth, 21, Merin Kumar 29, Raj Tilak, 32 and Anson, 24.

The incident follows shortly after 15 Indian fishermen who ventured out from Bahrain were detained and tortured by the Iran officials at the harbour for almost six months.