Indian fishermen languishing in fishing boat in Kish Island

Manama : An Iranian court will decide the fate of twenty-five Indian fishermen who are detained in a boat in Kish Island for allegedly entering their territorial waters. 

The fishermen ventured into the sea in four boats on March 8 and March 22 from Bahrain. They were detained by Iranian forces on March 12 and March 23 for allegedly crossing the territorial waters. The fishermen, however,  firmly deny the charge.

“The fishermen are languishing in a boat in Kish Island without proper food and medicine. They are under strict surveillance of Iranian officials. Worried about their families back home, the men in boats are physically and mentally exhausted. The Indian embassy met them on Sunday and provided them with medicine, money for food and mobile recharge coupons,” Justin Anthony, Founder President of International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET), told DT News. 

The arrested are: Jegan, Jenish, Jose Prince, Arokia John Yufur, Jesudasan, Arokia Ebes Borgio, Baskalis, Anthony Pichai, Antony Soosai, Antony Pramod, Borjio Francis, Victor, Visuvasam, Arokia Bervin Besky, Arul Vivek, Arun Prajidan, Sajan, Savio, William Prabu, Joseph Besky, Dominic Savio, Nisanth, Merin Kumar, Raj Tilak, Anson.

“It’s one-and-a-half months now in Kish Island. One of the Indian embassy officials has given us a reassurance that they would speed up the court proceedings but we are still clueless about what is happening. Our families in India are worried about us,” said Jesudasan, one of the fishermen, from the boat detained in Kish Island.

Earlier, DT News had reported the release of 15 fishermen from Kish Island after 6 months of detention and torture in Iran.