Dare I dream
A FOREIGN Office minister has met six British seamen who have been detained in India on firearms offences.
Mark Field, the UK’s minister for Asia, visited the “Chennai Six” at Puzhal prison in Chennai.
Nick Dunn, 31, of Ashington, is among the group of ex-serviceman who were jailed for five years.
They were working on an anti-piracy ship when they were arrested in 2013.
The other men are Billy Irving, from Connel, Argyll and Bute, Ray Tindall, from Chester, Paul Towers, from Yorkshire, John Armstrong, from Wigton, Cumbria, and Nicholas Simpson, from Catterick, North Yorkshire.
All had been working for US maritime company AdvanFort providing anti-piracy protection when their ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, was detained and weapons found.
They were arrested on illegal weapons charges, which were dropped in the following months, but an appeal followed from the Indian authorities and in 2016 they were convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.
The men have always protested their innocence and appealed against the charges, maintaining they held appropriate licences for the weapons.
Mr Field said: “These men have been separated from their families for four years and have had an incredibly difficult experience. They are adamant they are innocent of the crime they are in prison for.
“I wanted to meet with them personally to give them my assurance we are still doing everything we can to help them.
“It is not for us to tell India’s independent justice system what to do, we cannot and should not, but we can make clear the importance we place on this case.”
Mr Field, alongside consular staff, also checked on the men’s welfare and delivered family messages during the visit.
Dunn’s sister Lisa hopes the minister’s visit will help her brother’s case.
The 38-year-old added: “We have never asked for the British Government to tell the Indian authorities what to do.
“We are calling for the Indian authorities to adhere to their own laws.
“You are supposed to get a verdict for an appeal within three months of it being heard. Nick’s appeal was heard in November and we should have had a verdict in February - we are in October now.
“What is unfair is we don’t know if the appeal is going to be upheld or not.
“Meanwhile, Nick is still there suffering.”