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Rescue At Sea: High-Risk Activity
Follow up: five fishermen freed, two under house arrest
It is with satisfaction that the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) learned of the release of the seven Tunisian fishermen who were arrested and detained by Italian authorities since August 8th, 2007, after having rescued a group of 44 immigrants and asylum seekers in distress off the coast of Sicily.
The Agrigente Court at last ordered the release of the seven fishermen and it is reasonable to believe that the mobilization of European and Italian political actors, as well as civil society groups in various countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region, a number of which are members of the REMDH (FTCR, AMDH, CIR, ILHR, LTDH2), might have played a role in this decision.
Nonetheless, two of the fishermen (the captains of the two impounded boats) are under house arrest and requested not to leave Italian territory. Moreover, the fishing boats have not been returned to the Tunisian seamen and charges against the fishermen are maintained. They are accused of “abetting illegal immigration” and risk up to 15 years imprisonment. The trial should start on September 20th, 2007.
“Their release is very good news,” announced Kamel Jendoubi, President of the EMHRN. “But we must pay close attention to further developments in this affair until all of the charges against the fishermen have been lifted and their work material returned,” he added.
Independently of the outcome of the trial, the question still remains as to the general impact of this affair in terms of intimidation against seamen to no longer disembark rescued migrants and asylum seekers on European coasts.
“Italian authorities have made no declaration recollecting their commitment to apply International Maritime Law, according to which persons rescued in Italian waters must be disembarked in Italy. Thus, this subject remains unclear in the minds of seamen,” underlines Kamel Jendoubi. “As long as Italian authorities do not clearly dissipate fears as to their intentions to systematically incriminate those who disembark persons rescued at sea in Italy, seamen will be hesitant to rescue them,” he declared. “This is unacceptable,” he concludes.
1 See previous EMHRN press release: http://www.euromedrights.net/pages/348/news/focus/42007
2 In order: Tunisian Federation for a Two-Banks Citizenship, Moroccan Association for Human Rights, Italian Council for Refugees, International League of Human Rights (France), Tunisian League for Human Rights.
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