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Welcome home celebrations for Hebei Spirit officers
2 July 2009
Mass celebrations greeted the two Hebei Spirit officers as they returned home to India. They were finally released by the Korean authorities earlier last month following 18 months in detention.
Attending the celebrations in Mumbai and Chennai to mark the return home of captain Jasprit Chawla and chief officer Syam Chetan were representatives from a range of groups. These included the ITF, the National Union of Seafarers of India, government officials, ship owners and the Hebei Spirit’s managers, V Ships, all of whom were united in their commitment to preventing the inexcusable criminalisation of seafarers, to which Chawla and Chetan fell victim.
The seafarers had been detained in Korea after the Hebei Spirit was hit by a Samsung Crane barge in 2007, which caused an oil spill. Although a court dismissed the main charge against them of causing destruction to property, their criminal conviction for allegedly failing to do more to prevent the oil leak from the tanker remains intact.
ITF general secretary David Cockroft stated: “We are pleased to see the men back home again. But we must fight to see them cleared of all charges. The ITF has been at the forefront of a campaign to end the criminalisation of seafarers, which both these officers experienced, and the struggle must go on.”
Roberto Giorgi, president of V Ships and head of InterManager, the ship management trade association, reiterated the need to clear the Hebei officers of all criminal charges; they could currently face restrictions and problems obtaining visas and when entering ports. International law also had to be amended to prevent this kind of unacceptable criminalisation, he said.
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