The incidence of Indian fishermen employed in Gulf Cooperation Council countries landing up in Iranian jails is increasing. This, say diplomats in GCC nations, is because of the growing tension between these countries and Tehran. In the latest case, four fishermen from Kanyakumari district and one from Kerala were detained on Monday by Iranian authorities for crossing into that country’s waters.
The five men, who worked in Qatar, are now on Kish Island along with 20 fishermen from Kanyakumari district, who were detained 10 days ago. Of those detained on Monday, Louis Sasi (42), Stephen Arokiam (30), Sammichael Anthonis (34) and Anthony Soosai Nayakam were from Kanyakumari, while the fifth, Joseph Thadeuse (37) was from Thiruvananthapuram.
Talking to TOI on Wednesday over telephone from Kish Island, Louis Sasi said, “We work for a Qatari sponsor and strayed into Iranian waters by mistake. We were stopped at gun point by the Iranian coast guard and brought here. We appeal to the government to ensure we are released at the earliest as we are forced to beg for food here.”
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