The Iranian government has released all the 49 Indian fishermen, including 45 from Tamil Nadu, who had gone to Dubai on contract fishing and were arrested by the Navy on charges of poaching, according to M. Karunamurthy, district secretary of the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Koottamaippu.
V. Arumugam, one of the 49 fishermen held captive in their boats on Kish island in Iran, called him on Wednesday morning over phone and said that they were on their way to the airport after they were released by Iran, Mr. Karunamurthy told The Hindu . Those released included 11 fishermen from this district, 31 from Kaniyakumari, two from Thoothukudi and five from Gujarat, he said.
The 49 fishermen, who were flown to Dubai, were expected to arrive at the Anna international terminal in Chennai at 4. 40 a.m. on Thursday, Mr. Karunamurthy, who was accompanying the family members of 11 fishermen to Chennai, said.
The 11 fishermen from Kilakarai region had gone to Dubai during April-June last year. Along with other fishermen, they were fishing on the high seas when the Iran Navy arrested them in December. It had confiscated their five trawlers and confined them in the boats on Kish island.
The release became possible after the CITU central leadership took up the matter with the External Affairs Ministry and put pressure,’ he claimed and regretted that the State government failed to initiate any step to secure their release.
The Fisheries Department here, however, said it has no information about the release of the fishermen.
2016, The Hindu