Byndoor: Fisherman from Shiroor in six-month confinement in Iran released

Byndoor, 30 Jan 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: The ordeal of Shiroor-based fisherman, Abdul Mohammed Hussain, ended after a protracted wait. He was released by Iran and reached his home at Shiroor on Monday, January 28.

Mohammed Hussain is from Armi near Karikatte, Byndoor. Since the last 26 years, he was working as a sailor for a fishing boat based in Dubai. 25 persons including 18 from Uttara Kannada district and seven from Ratnagiri were with him in his boat when the Iranian police arrested them, accusing them of crossing the international border. With the efforts a Dubai-based Muslim organization, Kundapura Kannada Balaga and other organizations, 18 were released, but Hussain and some others continued to be held by Iran.

"Boat owner too was with us when we were fishing. The police arrested us even though we were nine miles away from their border then. Some days ago, the government at Abu Dhabi had arrested eight Iranian fishermen. We were arrested for pressurizing Abu Dhabi government to release these fishermen," Hussain stated.

Hussain said that eight were kept in the boat and the others were sent into prison. People in the boat were guarded round the clock by policemen. Even when they were sleeping at night, they were woken up and counted. Cell phones had been snatched away. But some fishermen who used hidden cell phones, called up their families to inform what had happened," he explained.

The arrested persons were very poor and their families had lost all hope. Khaleel Khan and Abu Mohammed Kukri of Canara Muslim Association, NRI Forum president, Praveen Kumar Shetty, Shiroor Association, Bhatkal Tanzeem and other organization leaders brought pressure on both the governments and succeeded in getting the fishermen released, said Mudri Altaf, member of the local gram panchayat. 

Hussain said that the prison where they were kept was horrible. A small room with a small toilet had to be used by everyone. It had a high compound but no roof. Even to get a glass of drinking water, the prisoners had to repeatedly request the guards. "We got only two slices of bread to eat. My fervent wish is that no one else goes through such a suffering," Hussain said with choked voice.