India Urges Immediate Release of Three Seafarers Who Fled Sinking Tanker

Three Indian seafarers have been stranded on the Indonesian island of Nias for eight months after they were forced to abandon their leaking ship. The chief officer, Siyaab Salam, has not seen his family for over 14 months since his passport was taken away. Salam and his two colleagues have been staying in a hotel on the island and have not been paid for the last four months. The ship, the Gabon-flagged 5,000-dwt bitumen tanker Aashi, ran aground in February while steaming from Oman to Indonesia. The master ordered the crew to take to the lifeboats after the situation worsened in bad weather. The other 17 Indian crew members have been allowed to return home, but the senior trio have been told to remain in Indonesia to assist with the inquiry. Indonesian investigators have finished speaking with the three men and recommended that they be flown to Jakarta, but they remain in limbo. The Indian embassy in Jakarta has said that the men are innocent and have nothing to do with the accident. The director general of shipping in India has demanded the immediate release of the men, stating that they are entitled to a fair trial and freedom of movement. The seafarers fear that they will not be released until the wreck of the Aashi is recovered and all costs are settled by the vessel’s insurer. The Aashi is managed by UAE-based Al Phoenix Ship management and owned by Liberian company Aashi Shipping Inc. The Indonesian government has been approached for comment.

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