Pics: MV Ali Bey ship and Human Rights at Sea logo

The stranded Panamanian flagged MV Ali Bey crew, who have been abandoned and detained alongside Constanza port in Romania since 30 November 2020, without wage payment and suffering challenging conditions onboard, have provided Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) with an updated video testimony as to their position which amounts to a bleak outlook.

“HRAS has consistently advocated for the public identification of abusers of seafarers, including those owners who manipulate crew, fail to pay wages, and introduce threats of the use or misuse of legal systems against them,” said a spokesperson from HRAS.

In the latest video, Capt Abdullah Dahha, the Master of the vessel again laid out their challenges in securing all the wages they are owed, their poor living conditions onboard and highlighted the local voluntary support which is keeping them supplied with food, water, and electricity.

Supported by the local ITF Inspector and an instructed local lawyer, backed by the ITF Seafarer team in London, the crew continue to wait for a legal solution to their case with real concerns as to their well-being as the months pass and winter conditions approach.

“Our living condition has become like living in jail – we can’t go outside, can’t make anything, only live on the ship. We want 100% of our wages, that is $186,000 [USD] but owners are offering us only 60 percent of our wages. This offer was made by a strange man who boarded the ship to discuss and I refused. ITF bring supplies and food for us, but we need to finish this case. Also, winter is coming so we are afraid of our conditions,” shared a distressed Capt Dahha.

HRAS has been working with the Romanian ITF Inspector and the ITF in London and has strongly propagated the message – once again, seafarers are the pawns in this unnecessary and ongoing abandonment case which puts the lives of the remaining seafarers on hold and clearly breaches their fundamental human rights to liberty, effective remedy, right to work, and not to be subject to cruel or inhumane treatment. Further, their human right to family life remains breached as their enforced separation from their families continues with no end in sight.

HRAS remains in contact and has passed the latest testimony to flag State authorities.

Marex Media