6 fishers freed from Iran jail back in TN

The fishermen – Sathish (22), Alex Pandian (22), Boominathan (26), Balakumar (35), Duraimurugan (26) from Ramanathapuram district and Medialton (38) from Tirunelveli – were working for a private agency in Dubai.

On September 1, the six fishermen, along with three Arabs, were fishing when the Iran Coast Guards surrounded and arrested them for crossing the maritime border. Their families in Tamil Nadu were informed about the development, and help was sought from the Migrant Forum of the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM), an organisation that has helped repatriate many men caught in similar situation.

On October 1, a court in Iran ordered the six fishermen to pay a penalty of Rs 37,000 each, while the three Arabs were sentenced to six months in Jail. However, as they did not have the money, all six were sent to prison for three months.

Meanwhile, after more than a month went by, the Tamil Nadu government finally took up their case with the Centre, with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami seeking help to secure their release. In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5, Palaniswami said the men were first detained on their boat itself for more than a month.

“They do not have access to basic amenities and their essential supplies have exhausted,” the Chief Minister said in the letter, urging the PM to direct the Indian Ambassador to Iran to immediately provide essential supplies to the fishermen and take legal measures to ensure that they were release at the earliest.

However, even as their family members spent anxious days, the six men continued in Iranian prison till last week when they were finally released from custody. Following this, the family members raised the money required for them to purchase tickets to India – Rs 27,500 each – said NDWM. On Monday, they flew back to Chennai.