Pirate hunter’s two-year hell
‘Chennai Six’ languish in Indian jail despite appeal
NORTH man Nick Dunn’s agonisingg fight for justice is dragging on as thee former solider waits for an Indiann judge to decide on his appeal.
Nick, from Ashington, Northummberland, is one of the so-called “Chennai Six” – a group of ex-servicemen currently locked up in an Indian prison.
The men, with a combined 74 years service in the British armed forces, were detained while protecting Indian ships from Somali pirates in September 2013.
Indian police accused them of gun running – despite being told the weapons were legally held.
Next month will mark two years in an Indian jail for Afghan veteran Nick, who is enduring his second spell in prison in Chennai, India.
His original conviction was quashed, but a January 2016 retrial saw the men found guilty and sentenced to five years behind bars.
Now, an Indian court has heard an appeal from the men’s lawyers – but, more than 200 days on, they are still waiting to learn their fate.
Nick’s sister Lisa has fought tire- lessly for her brother’s release. The 37-year-old said: “The men wake up every morning with a feeling of hope, nervousness and anxiety. Each day they think, ‘is this the day we finally get a decision?’. To have to endure that for more than 200 days means you are constantly on edge.
“Three times they have been told to expect a decision and three times no decision has been made. It’s a mixture of anticipation, thinking it will come, and then the crushing disappointment when nothing comes.”
The Indian judge has three options – he could uphold the original conviction, quash it or he could send the men home for time served.
If he upholds the conviction, the men will be forced to serve the rest of their sentence in India.
Should the judge decide to quash the conviction, they would be freed – but the Indian intelligence agency, Q-Branch, could then appeal that decision, meaning the men could be kept in India until another judge decides on another appeal.
If the men are freed under time served, it would mean they could go home – but would have a conviction on their record.
Lisa said: “These are innocent men. But Nick would prefer for the decision to be a time served one, because that option means they know they can come home. If the judge quashes it they still might not be able to come home while another appeal is heard. And, if they are freed, the men can come home and fight to have the conviction quashed from here.
“He is desperately tired. He has lost lots of weight and he is ill. When he went into prison last year he was still suffering from the first six months inside. He is now coming up to doing two years inside so he is feeling the affects of that.
“But he has done remarkably well Nick Dunn, is one of six British ex-soldiers jailed in India in the circumstances. To have to live in those surroundings and to live with that miscarriage of justice and still have fire in your belly to fight shows how strong he is.
“We are so proud of him. His resilience and strength, he is such a credit to the family.”
The six men were held in October 2013 while working as security guards on the American-owned, anti-piracy vessel, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio. They entered Indian waters to refuel but the local authorities accused them of not having the correct permits to carry firearms – despite their paperwork, which had been issued by the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), being in order.
The men imprisoned alongside Nick are John Armstrong, 29, of Wigton, Cumbria, a former member of 3 Para; Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, who served with the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment and the Welsh Guards; Nicholas Simpson, 46, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, a former Sergeant Major in the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment; Paul Towers, 53, of Pocklington, East Yorkshire, a former member of 1 Para; and Billy Irving, 37, of Oban, Scotland, a former member of 1 Para.
The men’s UK-based lawyer, Stephen Askins, said: “It has never been clear why the authorities took exception to these men and the courts have shown a complete misunderstanding of international law.
“The Chennai Six are at the wrong end of poor judgement and a miscarriage of justice. The Indians have made their point – it is now time for the men to come home.”