Deputy Governor General of Sistan and Balochestan province for security and disciplinary affairs said on Tuesday that arrest of Konarak Port sailors by Somalia in trans-coastal waters is illegal and Foreign Ministry is following up the case.
Ali Asghar Mir-Shekari said that on September 27 a barge in class of fishery with 18 crews received permission from Sistan and Balochestan Fishery Department in Konarak Port for fishing in open seas.
Iranian fishermen play key role in exploiting 32 member countries of IOTC in west of Indian Ocean.
Nine days later, while the barge was operating its fishing activities in trans-coastal waters 1,200 kilometers away from Iran’s coast were shot at by Somalia Coast Guard forces.
Captain of the barge was killed and one of the fishermen was injured and the rest of 16 sailors were arrested by the guards.
Usually, a fishing barge moves slowly, while the vessels of Coast Guards are much faster, so there was no need to shot at the barge.
The official said this move by Somalia’s government is illegal and not within international regulations framework and legally is a case to be followed up.
He said that although the incident has happened in open seas waters in a trans-coastal region, but the sailors are citizens of Iran’s Sistan and Balochestan province and we seriously defend their rights and the issue was declared to the Foreign Ministry as well.
Konarak Port is located 640 kilometers south of Zahedan, capital of Sistan and Balochestan province.
