The Madras High Court yesterday ruled not to suspend the five-year hard labour jail term awarded to 35 crewmembers of the Seaman Guard Ohio. The crew, working for American maritime security firm Advanfort, were convicted in January for illegally possessing weapons and entering Indian waters off Tuticorin in 2013.
A final appeal hearing is now set for June 1.
The January court ruling drew plenty of ire from across the shipping industry. Ken Peters, director of justice and public affairs for the Mission to Seafarers, commented at the time: “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.”
