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Nearly 4 years aft helium endured the suffering and shame of a lifetime, aft being detained by Equatorial Guinea on with his colleagues, Kochi-based sailor Sanu Jose feels relieved present much than ever. Mr. Jose, a autochthonal of Elamkulam successful Ernakulam, says the caller judgement of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) against Equatorial Guinea implicit the detention of the cargo vessel MT Heroic Idun in mid-August 2022 has infused caller assurance successful the sailing community.
Mr. Jose was the main serviceman of Heroic Idun when the vas was detained by Equatorial Guinea connected complaint of violating their territorial waters and effort to bargain crude oil. The vas had a 26-member unit including 16 Indians, 8 Sri Lankans, and 1 idiosyncratic each from Philippines and Poland. An SOS video sent by Mr. Jose from onboard the detained vessel had grabbed wider attraction and prompted authorities interventions.
They were aboriginal handed implicit to the Nigerian navy and were released successful May 2023. The detainees were fto disconnected reportedly aft Idun Maritime Limited, the institution that owned the vessel, paid punishment moving into millions and apologised to the Nigerian government.
However, the authorities of Marshall Islands aboriginal moved the ITLOS, headquartered successful Hamburg, Germany, questioning the detention of its vessel and secured a favourable verdict connected Wednesday (May 27, 2026). As per the verdict, Equatorial Guinea had violated the United Nations Convention connected the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by intercepting and detaining the Marshall Islands-registered Heroic Idun and its crew.
The Special Chamber reportedly awarded Marshall Islands much than $14 cardinal successful compensation for the unlawful acts of Equatorial Guinea, including successful excess of $4 cardinal for mistreatment of the crew. This is the largest magnitude ever awarded by ITLOS.
Elated implicit the planetary judicial order, Mr. Jose said it had erased a achromatic people successful his career. “The shipping institution went for retired of tribunal colony to prevention the vessel and the unit astatine the earliest. However, adjacent aft being released I recovered it hard to find bid of caput arsenic it kept recurring wrong maine that we were met with injustice. We were branded arsenic lipid thieves and accused of attempting to undermine Equatorial Guinea’s economy. All these portion we knew we did thing illegal. The latest verdict has travel arsenic a immense relief, and it gives assurance to different captains too,” helium said.
After being released, Mr. Jose went backmost to his erstwhile institution which elevated him arsenic captain. He present works with an lipid and state major. Two of his past colleagues from Kerala — V. Vijith from Kollam and Milton De Coth from Kochi — who were besides detained with him proceed to beryllium successful sailing, helium said.
Mr. Jose had attended the proceedings successful Hamburg successful October 2025.
Welcoming the judgment, Marshall Islands, meanwhile, said it was important for that state to bring the lawsuit guardant “to support the cardinal rules and principles of instrumentality for emblem States, the humane and just attraction of seafarers, the information of vessels and the marine environment, and each engaged successful planetary maritime trade. This judgement reaffirms the paramount value of state of navigation and the rule of exclusive emblem State jurisdiction connected the precocious seas,” Meredith Kirby, Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Marshall Islands, said successful a statement.
