JOY - Fishermen glad to be home for new year after US saga
Published:Friday | January 1, 2021 | 12:15 AMChristopher Serju/ Senior Gleaner Writer
The four Jamaican fishermen who returned from the United States last evening were in high spirits, and their relatives were relieved to have them safely back home after more than two months detained in the US without charge after being accused of drug trafficking in what lawyers have called a breach of their rights.
The men have reportedly been left traumatised by their detention, which started on October 11, when their boat, Lady Lawla, was boarded by the United States Coast Guard. Their ordeal ended yesterday, when they were released from US custody.
Earlier this week, the attorneys of the men – Anthony Clark (captain), Radcliffe Simmons, Howard Patterson, and Warren Rowe – raised an alarm over their continued detention after a US judge had ordered their release more than a week ago.
They only learnt late Wednesday night that they would be home for the new year when one of them was tapped on the shoulder and advised that their departure was set for early Thursday morning.
“The four men landed without passport and with one suit of clothing on their back – the detention suit – because their clothes and personal belongings, including passports, were taken by the US Coast Guard,” attorney Bert Samuels told The Gleaner.
After their arrival, the men were whisked to Samuels’ office by David Chin, owner of the vessel, which was eventually destroyed by US authorities, for a debriefing before heading into quarantine as per COVID-19 protocols.
Need counselling
“They thought they would have spent the New Year in what I would call ‘Babylon’, but they were able to leave the wretched United States and come home to Jamaica. So they are happy to be with their families, but they really need counselling based on how they were treated,” Samuels said, adding that the men were threatened with long prison sentences.
“They really need counselling and their families as well, who feared that the false charges might be brought against them to justify the destruction of the boat, so they are entirely relieved that they are here,” he added.
Samuels said he was disappointed that the only official who has so far spoken out against the men’s detention was outgoing US Ambassador Donald Tapia.
In addition to bringing legal charges against several United States agencies and personnel, the attorney-at-law said there needs to be a suspension and review of the Shiprider Agreement, under which the US was granted authority to detain the Jamaicans, who were held in international waters, reportedly on their way to Venezuela to purchase fish.
“We need to investigate this matter deeply because it seems to be that Jamaica is not an equal partner in the Shiprider Agreement, and so it should be terminated until this matter is resolved,” said Samuels, adding that he would be pursuing legal redress for false imprisonment, breach of the fishermen’s human rights to liberty and freedom, breach of diplomatic rights – the confiscation of passports, which belong to the Jamaican State and for piracy and destruction of the Lady Lawla, both for its value, which is over is US$600,000 – and for the loss of the vessel since October 12 last year.