INTERMANAGER Members Rally to Support of Hebei Spirit Crew

Hard hitting message delivered by InterManager General Secretary Guy Morel on behalf of his members – who between them represent some 2,500 oceangoing ships and more than 125,000 crew.

The jailed Master and Chief Officer of the Hebei Spirit are being held in inhumane conditions which breach their human rights and go against their religious principals - and the shipping industry will not stand idly by while this injustice continues. That was the hard hitting message delivered by InterManager General Secretary Guy Morel on behalf of his members - who between them represent some 2,500 oceangoing ships and more than 125,000 crew. Speaking at this week's Seatrade Middle East Maritime Conference in Dubai, Mr. Morel told delegates he believes the court's decision was based on a "inaccurate, if not incompetent" report.

InterManager has vowed to submit an official complaint to the United Nations for breach of the Human Rights Act and is calling on all its 125,000 seafarers to send a personal message of protest to the Korean Government. In addition, the organisation says it will not stand in the way of crew who refuse to serve on ships bound for South Korea for fear that their own freedom may be at risk once there.