Human Rights at Sea Investigative Report & Case Study
Breach of Seafarers Human Rights while under criminal investigation in Angola
MV Sutton Tide Crew IMO 9389461 – Soyo Angola
Crew Evidence and Impact Statements
Initial Report: 15 June 2017
“I don’t want to kill my self but if I stay here in prison then my death will be very slowly and painful. My family is already in big suffering. During my time here my wife finish to hospital for surgery. She is already 2 months in bed and she cannot even take care about our son and he is now with his grandmother. I believe that story’s from other colleges [sic: colleagues] regarding family are also very bad.”
UPDATE: 22 June 2017
Human Rights at Sea is pleased to update this story with good news. On 16 June 2017, the local Soyo court exonerated the crew of all the false charges brought against them. All crew have now been repatriated home to their respective countries after over three months deprivation of their liberty in Soyo, Angola. ENDS.
Press Release. Immediate.
15 June 2017. Human Rights at Sea today releases another case study and investigative report into abuses of seafarers and their basic human rights while under criminal investigation in Soyo, Angola.
The report highlights a series of important issues, including overarching breaches of basic human rights, perverting the course of justice, a poor investigation, limited and contradicting evidence against the crew, lack of legal support, lack of employer support and provision of legal advice, and mental health and welfare problems which have resulted in at least one attempted suicide due to the situation with a former Tidewater crew.