South Korea releases seafarers

South Korea releases seafarers    Two Indian seafarers, detained in South Korea since December 2007 after a barge rammed their ship in stormy weather causing an oil spill, have been released by a court.
   Release of Jaspreet Chawla, captain of the Hong Kong-registered oil tanker the Hebei Spirit, and Chief Officer Shyam Chetan was hailed by industry representatives, who also expressed disappointment that the two had not been exonerated.
   Intertanko, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, said while it was delighted by the release, “that these men were held for so long is unjust and unacceptable, and support for their case has come from a uniquely broad coalition of the shipping industry.
   “While we were pleased to see the Supreme Court reverse the Appeal Court's decision to imprison these two officers in respect of the charges brought for destruction of the Hebei Spirit, we nevertheless remain surprised and disappointed at the decision to dismiss the appeal concerning the charges of pollution and to uphold the pollution fines. We are also dismayed that this pollution charge falls short of the 'innocent of all charges' verdict handed down by the Daejeon District Court in June 2008.”
   Intertanko said the two “acted in an exemplary manner during the Hebei Spirit incident,” adding that “it is unjust that these two men should have stains on their records when they should have been fully exonerated of blame and applauded for their behavior.”
   David Cockroft, secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, said, “We find it unacceptable that the lesser charge against them was never removed.” He applauded ship manager V Ships “for standing by them so effectively, and join everyone who has struggled to get them set free in expressing relief at their imminent return home. We cannot however excuse the unfair criminalization that they have undergone and the contradictory nature of the dual verdicts.”