Seafarers Sentenced to 30 Years in Turkey: ITF Condemns ‘Outrageous’ Drug Case Verdict

Two seafarers have been sentenced to 30 years in prison in Turkey, sparking outrage from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The decision, which came after drugs were discovered on their vessel in the Black Sea port of Ere?li last October, has been met with strong condemnation from the maritime community.

Captain Marko Bekavac and Chief Mate Ali Albokhari of the Phoenician M received the harsh sentence despite a glaring lack of evidence linking them to the crime. The court’s decision, based on ‘command responsibility,’ has raised serious questions about the fairness of the judicial process.

The case unfolded when Turkish police found cocaine on the Panama-flagged vessel, which was transporting coal from Colombia. Notably, drugs were initially discovered and seized by Colombian authorities, but no investigation was launched at that time.

“The criminalization of seafarers has become commonplace,” said David Heindel, ITF Seafarers’ Section Chair. “We see case after case just like this one: seafarers are treated like criminals, held for months on end without trial, and handed outrageous sentences for crimes they did not commit – a gross abuse of their human rights.”

The case has highlighted several troubling aspects of the judicial process and treatment of maritime workers. Notably, no fingerprints belonging to the crew were found on the drug packages, indicating a lack of direct evidence linking them to the crime. Additionally, eight other crew members were held in prison for a year before being released due to lack of evidence, raising questions about the fairness of their detention. Also, the captain’s proactive request for additional security measures before loading in Colombia went unanswered, suggesting potential negligence on the part of the ship’s management.

“This decision is outrageous and shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for what seafarers do,” said Neven Melvan, General Secretary of the Croatian Seafarers’ Union, an ITF affiliate.

The ITF is now rallying the global maritime community to challenge this decision and defend seafarers’ rights.

“We will fight this decision until acquittal,” Heindel emphatically declared.

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