16 sailors held in Equatorial Guinea, Vijayan seeks PM’s help

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOCHI: As the families of 16 Indian sailors including three from Kerala, detained in Equatorial Guinea, hoped the Indian government will ensure their speedy release, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Vijayan requested him to direct Indian diplomatic missions in the countries concerned -- Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria -- “to proactively intervene and facilitate the immediate release of the Norwegian vessel -- MT Heroic Idun -- and its crew who have been detained since August 12.

In his letter, the CM contended that the vessel was arrested by an Equatorial Guinea naval ship in international waters on August 12 and as per reports, a total of 26 crew, including 16 Indians, are being held as hostages. “Among the 16 seafarers, three are from Kerala. The vessel has been held unlawfully...,” he added.

Vijayan also claimed that even though the vessel did not engage in any unlawful activities, the shipping company was ready to pay the fine to facilitate the early release of the seafarers. “After negotiation with the Nigerian authorities, the shipping company paid the required fine on September 28. Unfortunately, the crew and ship are still held in Equatorial Guinea under arrest till date,” he said in his letter.

Vijayan further said that the “unforeseen delay” in the sailors’ release would affect the mental and physical health of the crew and further stay in the port, which is considered unsafe, “would also put their lives in danger.” “I request your good self to direct the diplomatic missions in the countries concerned to proactively intervene and facilitate the immediate release of the vessel and its crew members,” Vijayan said in his letter.

The communication comes in the wake of videos and photos sent by the detained Kerala sailors to their families widely circulating on social media as well as news channels. One of the videos is by Vijith Nair, the brother of Vismaya who committed suicide in June last year due to dowry harassment -- an incident which led to widespread debate in the state regarding this practice.

Vijith, in the video, has said that 15 crew members, including him, have been locked in a jail at Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, surrounded by security personnel after they were taken from their vessel on the pretext of being accommodated in a hotel. The visuals show the sailors lying on the floor in one room and Vijith saying that soon his phone would run out of battery and that the mobile might even be confiscated.