CM MK Stalin Wants Repatriation of Freed Fishermen
The nine fishermen, who were ordered to be released by the court, were subsequently transferred on February 5 to the Mirihana Detention Centre, where they continued to remain in custody owing to delays in completing the repatriation formalities, he said.
Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin urged the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take urgent steps to expedite the repatriation of the nine fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were ordered to be released from jail by a court in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on February 3 but were languishing in the Mirihana detention centre since February 5.
The Jaffna court had tried a total of 12 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy - three from Mandapam, who were taken into custody on December 28, 2025, and nine from Mayiladuthurai, arrested on January 3 - and ordered the release of nine of them, Stalin said in his letter to Jaishankar on Saturday,
During the trial, three boat drivers were sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and were each imposed a fine of LKR 11.60 lakh, with an additional three months’ imprisonment in the event of default, he said in the letter.
The nine fishermen, who were ordered to be released by the court, were subsequently transferred on February 5 to the Mirihana Detention Centre, where they continued to remain in custody owing to delays in completing the repatriation formalities, he said.
‘Given the hardships faced by the fishermen in custody and the distress faced by their families concerned, I request you to take urgent steps to expedite the repatriation of the released fishermen at the earliest,' Stalin said.
