Two seafarers have been sentenced to 30 years in prison in Turkey, sparking widespread outrage from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the global maritime community.
The harsh ruling came after drugs were discovered on their vessel, Phoenician M, in the Black Sea port of Ereğli last October, despite a lack of direct evidence linking them to the crime.
Captain Marko Bekavac and Chief Mate Ali Albokhari received the severe sentence based on “command responsibility” after Turkish authorities found cocaine on their Panama-flagged vessel, which had been transporting coal from Colombia.
However, troubling details have emerged: Colombian authorities had seized the drugs before the ship departed, yet no investigation was conducted at that time.
“The criminalization of seafarers has become commonplace,” said David Heindel, ITF Seafarers’ Section Chair.
“We continue to see seafarers treated as criminals, held for months without trial, and handed outrageous sentences for crimes they did not commit – a gross abuse of their human rights.”
Several aspects of the case have raised alarm. No fingerprints of the crew were found on the drug packages, and eight other crew members were held in prison for a year before being released due to lack of evidence.
Additionally, the captain had requested additional security before loading in Colombia, but his concerns went unaddressed, pointing to potential negligence by the ship’s management.
“This decision shows a complete disregard for the challenges seafarers face,” said Neven Melvan, General Secretary of the Croatian Seafarers’ Union, an ITF affiliate.
The ITF has vowed to fight the verdict, with Heindel declaring, “We will not rest until acquittal is achieved.”
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