Bail Hearing for Seaman Guard Ohio Crew Pushed to Next Week

The court hearing for the Seaman Guard Ohio crew that was supposed to be held on February 16th has been postponed for next week, the Mission to Seafarers told World Maritime News.

Namely, the crew’s defense lawyers are seeking from the court to release the seafarers on bail due to their good conduct. However, the hearing has been delayed as the prosecution is due to submit additional evidence to the court.

In January, an Indian court sentenced members of US security company AdvanFort to five years of prison for carrying weapons aboard an anti-piracy ship in 2013.

The 35 sailors, including British, Estonian and Ukrainian nationals, of Seaman Guard Ohio were intercepted by Indian Coast Guard off the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in October 2013. The group was arrested and charged for failing to present proper documentation necessary to carry weapons in Indian waters.

The legal saga continues as lawyers for the crew have also submitted a fresh appeal against the sentences of 5 years in prison to the High Court in Madras-proceedings which the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) said it would pay for.

” I am disgusted with Advanfort the company, and the way they have treated the men. The US based shipping company has just abandoned them. Our men save hundreds of lives at sea and protect merchant ships from pirates. Ask any merchant seamen and they will tell you that they are innocent. There is no case to answer and I am optimistic, but we have all suffered enough; and I don’t know how much more heartache, disappointment and mental torture the men or ourselves can take,” said Yvonne MacHugh, partner of Billy Irving from Connel in Argyll Scotland.

Maritime lawyer, Stephen Askins, with UK firm Tatham Macinnes, commented: “The Seaman Guard Ohio went to get fuel and supplies offshore of a port which they are entitled to do under international maritime law and is an everyday necessity. Ships, like cars, need fuel. But the vessel was detained and brought into port. The men have been charged with possessing unlicensed weapons in the territorial waters of India. However, the vessel and the seamen represented no terrorist threat to India or its people at all, and the motivation behind bringing the charges is completely incomprehensible when set in the context of the crew’s primary role which was to protect the world’s commercial shipping fleet. The 35 guards and seafarers on board the vessel were a professional, multinational crew, which also included Indian sailors.” 

World Maritime News Staff