HRAS PRESS RELEASE
London. 17 May 2015.
The Ukrainian Marine Trade Union Federation (UMTUF) has joined in supporting Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) as an independent maritime human rights charity and supporter of seafarers, fishermen and their families.
HRAS was approached by the UMTUF to assist in registering the loss of a Ukrainian seafarer on the Missing Seafarers & Fishers Reporting Programme on behalf of the mother and father for which they were pleased to be able to assist.
3rd Officer of MV Cassiopeia Star ( IMO 9303431) Mr. Bondar Oleksandr disappeared from the board when the vessel was underway from Spain to Constantza , Midia dry dock , Romania and was in approximate position in the Black Sea Lat=42-48.2 North , Long 029-00.1 East.
Mr. Alexandr Ivakhno, Assistant to President/Head of the International Unit and representing the UMTUF as an ITF membership organisation said “thank you so much for such the important work which you have been doing”. The UMTUF will now be reviewing their records for other historic cases which may also be potentially uploaded to the Programme.
Founder and CEO of HRAS, David Hammond, commented “This is tragedy for the family and Human Rights at Sea stands alongside Bondar’s parents and the Ukrainian Marine Trade Union Federation in doing all it can to to assist, if only in a small way of keeping the matter alive in the minds of the international community and which is one of the purposes of the programme”.
The UMTUF is featuring the Missing Seafarers & Fishers Reporting Programme on its website.
Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) is a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1161673. The organisation has been independently developed for the benefit of the international community for matters and issues concerning human rights in the maritime environment. Its aim is to explicitly raise awareness, implementation and accountability of human rights provisions throughout the maritime environment, especially where they are currently absent, ignored or being abused. enquiries@humanrightstasea.org