Press Release
22nd September 2019
London. UK. The ITF Union has further reinforced its backing in the case of Captain Gennadiy Gavrylov who was arrested in Sri Lanka on 23 June 2016 in connection with the Sri Lankan flagged vessel Avant Garde (IMO 8107036). Importantly, ITF has explicitly highlighted the abuses of the Master’s human rights reflecting established International Human Rights Law.
“International law is clear on the rights of individuals who are subject to detention by state authorities. These rights are contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 9 of the ICCPR states that every person has the right to liberty and that any person “arrested or detained on a criminal charge… shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release.” This principal, and others contained in the ICCPR, are reflected in Article 13 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.”
Similar human rights issues relating to the detention and deprivation of liberty apply to all seafarers and fishers in such positions around the world, including the remaining 16 crew of the British flagged Stella Impero held in Iran.
For six years, Human Rights at Sea has been consistently advocating for explicit State, commercial and civil society engagement for the explicit inclusion of fundamental human rights under the 1948 Universal Declaration in the international maritime lexicon, human rights policies and maritime legislative development.
Image credit: ITF
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