Ukranian, Estonian and British authorities have all intimated they will appeal the ruling this week handed out by a court in India condemning the 35-man team onboard the Seaman Guard Ohio to five years hard labour.
The men aboard the ship – which include the six Britons, 12 Indians, three Ukrainians and 14 Estonians – were working for US private security firm AdvanFort when the ship was arrested in Indian waters October 2013 and found to be carrying weapons and ammunition without the right documentation.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman discussed the plight of the UK nationals, saying: “Our staff in India and the UK have been in close contact with all six men since their arrest to provide support to them and their families, including attending court… We recognise what a difficult time this is for those involved. There is now a 90-day window to appeal and we will continue to provide consular assistance.”
Ken Peters, director of justice and public affairs for the Mission to Seafarers, commented: “I am horrified and filled with anguish at this decision which is deeply unfair and unjust. These men are seafarers but it seems the court did not accept the basic fact that the ship was and is an anti-piracy vessel. The men carried arms in accordance with international maritime law for the purpose of ensuring the merchant fleet was protected properly from the very real risk of pirate attacks and hijack. The men have already suffered so much so this is a terrible outcome. It is beyond belief. We understand that the men’s defence team are examining the possibility of an appeal.”
An online petition to free the six UK nationals has already received more than 4,000 signatures with people signing up providing stinging criticism of American firm, AdvanFort, which has had its fair share of legal skirmishes over the years.
“I had the misfortune of working for this circus of a company,” one respondent wrote, while another commented: “It’s a disgrace that these employees have been jailed and not their employer.”
