As Human Rights at Sea informed seventeen seafarers were abandoned on the island of Kish by their respective shipping companies with salaries of almost two years and their identification papers confiscated. The allegations include food-poisoning, limited access to clean water and denial of medical treatments.
Seventeen seafarers were abandoned by various maritime companies on Kish Island in Iran and they have not been paid for two years. The seafarers include 12 Indian, 3 Ethiopian and 2 Filipino nationals.
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Human Rights at Sea became aware of this situation from Justice Shepherd, a human rights charity. The seafarers were suffering from food poisoning due to contaminated food, and they encountered many other problems. In addition, access to medical assessments were denied, as well as identity documents, so they were not able to travel.
When Justice Shepherd notified the seafarers’ embassies in Iran, the Indian and Filipino embassies acted quickly to deal with the matter. Namely, they contacted the shipowner’s agents and pressured them to settle the case. Finally, the seafarers were paid their salaries and were repatriated at the end of May.
Human Rights at Sea noted:
If Kish island in Iran is being used by shipowners to abandon seafarers so they circumvent their legal obligations owed to them under their employment contract while they are in the process of recruiting new ones, then such practices must come to an end.
