The Iranian authority is being urged to release four Emirati fishermen, along with five Asians, facing trial on charges of allegedly trespassing Iranian territorial waters while fishing.
The four Emiratis have been under arrest since November 6 and have only been allowed to contact their families for two minutes a day, without giving any details of their location, according to the Umm Al Quwain-based families of the arrested nationals, who called for their immediate release.
Father of Rashid Ahmed Buharun, one of the arrested nationals, said his son went fishing in Dubai territorial waters with his friends Saeed bin Sarm, Saeed Al Falasi, and Saud Sultan Ali Mohammed.
They went fishing for three days onboard the private boat of Saeed bin Sarm between the UAE and Qatar territorial waters, and never intruded into Iranian waters.
Ahmed Buharun said he lost contact with his son Rashid on November 8. But, he was able to contact me again on November 9 when he told me that he and his friends had been arrested by the Iranian Coast Guards though they were in the UAE territorial waters.
Buharun said the men were under stress and he was very worried, particularly about his son Rashid, who had earlier suffered a heart attack. We are also very worried about his mother who is a diabetic.
Rashid, in a call on November 14, urged his family to compel the body concerned to push for their release as soon as possible. We have been referred to an Iranian Court facing charges of intruding on Iranian territorial waters, Rashid told his father, who has already lodged a complaint at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Wife of Saeed Khalifa Al Falasi said she was shocked to learn of her husband’s arrest by the Iranian Authorities. The couple has five children the eldest is 10-years-old while the youngest is just 25 days old. They do not stop crying, and we are all worried about him.
Hussain Al Hajiri, Head of the UAQ Fishermen Society has urged all Emirati fishermen to avoid fishing by the oil institutions or close to the territorial waters of other countries so as not be face legal action.
There is no need to go fishing at long distances since large amounts of fishes are now approaching the UAE beaches.
Sultan Ali Mohammed, father of Saud, one of the Emirati detainees, said his son informed his mother that he and some Emirati and Asian fishermen would go fish for shrimps by an oil well.
An Iranian marine patrol arrested them while they were sleeping in their boat, and took them to a nearby island where they were put in their custody. Their cell phones and other wireless devices were seized, he said, noting that one of their companions called them, and reported the incident.
Hussain Sultan, brother of Saud said he contacted one of his friends in Iran, who visited his brother and friends at their detention. He said they are all fine, and soon after the set fine is imposed, they shall be set free, but only after the end of Ashura holiday (an Iranian feast).
The Iranian Authorities had earlier stopped several Emirati boats on alleged charges of breaching the Iranian territorial waters. They usually remain in their custody for up to 60 days, before being fined between Dh25,000 and Dh150,000.
2013 Khaleej Times