Indonesian fisherman wins trial in Australia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Friday March 21 2014


An Australian court has ruled in favor of an Indonesian fisherman by the name of Sahring, who sued the Australian government for burning his boat and mistreating him. The court thus ordered the Australian government to compensate A$ 44,000 (US$39,900) for the damages.

Sahring’s victory was conveyed to him via an e-mail sent to head of the Care for West Timor Foundation Ferdi Tanoni from Sahring’s defense attorney in Australia, Greg Phelps.

“The verdict has ordered the Australian government to pay Sahring A$44,000 in compensation,” Ferdi told a press conference held in Kupang in Friday as quoted by tempo.co.

Sahring’s boat was spotted by the Australian navy in 2008 in waters included in the Exclusive Economic Zone. The Australian navy dragged the boat into Australian waters and then destroyed it and put Sahring in jail on charges of illegally entering and fishing in Australian territory


(Have international laws changed that much or an error in reporting? You can be arrested for fishing in another country's economic zone, but not for being there, that is still regarded as international waters, that is according to me, that is) siK.



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