Fisherman Acquitted In Net Case

A fisherman and two Asian crewmen were cleared of having unlicensed fishing nets at sea and failing to stop for a Coast Guard patrol after a court found the case against them unproven.

The Lower Criminal Court expressed doubt about the claim linking the three men to the nets found at the fishing site. All three denied the charges.

Lawyer Mohammed Al Mahdi, representing the fisherman, stated that prosecutors accused his client and the two crewmen of possessing unlicensed nets at a fishing site. The fisherman was also accused of disobeying public servants conducting boat checks on the boat by refusing to stop for a Coast Guard patrol.

The case dates back to September 2025.

Witnesses said they were on duty when they saw the boat. As they moved closer to check it, those on board fled, leaving behind banned fishing gear, according to the case papers.

A technical check later found the nets were made of three-layer nylon.

Mr Al Mahdi said his client and the other two men denied any link to the nets. The fisherman told the court the seized gear did not belong to him.

The lawyer asked the court to seek footage of the incident from the Coast Guard. He called for an acquittal, citing his client’s denial and the lack of proof tying him to the nets.

The court found the papers lacked sufficient proof for a guilty ruling.

It said the witness account was too general, only mentioning that the boat was seen, checks were sought, and those on board fled, leaving banned nets behind.

The court stated that doubt alone was sufficient for an acquittal in a criminal trial, provided the case was weighed carefully.

It added that doubt must favour the accused, citing the settled rule that justice is harmed less by a guilty person going free than by infringing on individual rights and freedoms of individuals.

The three men were acquitted of all charges.