6 from bhatkal, Total 18 indian fishermen under 'boat arrest' in Iran since July

Bhatkal, 11 October 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: A total of 18 fishermen and six fishermen from Bhatkal, a coastal town in Uttara Kannada district, have been confined to their boat for more than two months after they strayed into Iranian waters while fishing off the Dubai coast. Since July-end, their boat is being held at an island around 1,000km from Tehran.

According to reporters who spoke with some of the fishermen who identified themselves as residents of Bhatkal. “We left Bhatkal for Dubai on April 25 this year. We were working there and on July 21, we took a boat out for fishing. I think we accidentally strayed into Iran. We were arrested on July 27 and we have been detained at Kish Island,” said Mohammed Sharief, 37.

Six out of 18 fishermen are said to be sent to jail in Iran and the remaining 12 along with boat owner Sheikh Marwan are confined at their boats. From the last two and a half months, they have been struggling to get released, but their efforts are futile.

According to sources the stranded fishermen are Khallel Pani Buddu, Abdul Mohammed Hussain, Usman Bombaikar, Mohammed Sharif Yusuf Bapu, Abdullah Suleman Dangi and Ateeq Suleman Garu of Tenginagundi near Bhatkal, Yakub Ismail Shamu, Ilias Ambaji, Ilias Garu, Inayat Abdul Adeer Shamshu, Khaseem Sheikh and Ajmal Moosa Shamu of Kumta, Ibrahim Mulla Fakeera, Mohammed Ansari Ismail Bapu and Nayeem Hassan Bandi of Murdeshwar and others.
 

“We were first taken to a police station where a case was registered and we’ve been detained in our own boat for the past 73 days,” Mohammed Sharief added. One of the nine men is allowed to go out once a day to buy essentials, but all of them are confined to the boat otherwise, said Ibrahim Mulla