'Closed metal prison': a sailor lives alone for 4 years on an abandoned ship

A ghost ship has been standing near the entrance to the Suez Canal for several years. A Syrian sailor has been living on board all this time. And this is not his personal choice. He cannot leave his houseboat, as the court has appointed him the guardian of the ship. A man swims ashore to buy food and charge his phone, but is not allowed to return home. Why this happened, the publication found out with the BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

"Hello! I am the Chief Officer on the MV Aman, Mohammed Aisha. “I’ve been on the ship since May 2017,” says the sailor. — Every 2-3 days I swim ashore to buy food, water and charge my phone. Please, help".

This cargo ship was detained in Egypt back in 2017 due to expired rescue equipment and certificates. Mohammed was appointed the legal guardian of the ship, but he says he signed the decree without understanding its content.

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Since then, the ship has been stationary, with no electricity on it.

A Syrian passport was taken from the sailor, so he cannot leave until the ship is sold or a replacement is found for him.

“I was stuck alone in a prison, a closed metal prison, for four long years. Sometimes I see rodents, a lot of flies, mosquitoes and beetles,” says Mohammed. “And at night it’s like being in a grave—you can’t see or hear anything.”

“Two years ago my mother died. And she will never see me again because of this damned ship,” the sailor continues. “All I want is to go home to my family.”

The number of abandoned ships is now growing. There are currently 250 active abandoned ship cases. But Mohammed's case is exceptional.

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“Mohammed’s situation is unfair. “It is unacceptable,” says Mohamed Arrahedi, a spokesman for the International Transport Workers Association. — The owner abandoned the ship, it was his decision. The court appointed Mohammed as the legal guardian. He is alone on the ship, without water, without electricity. Who should be responsible for this?

“I can’t get a judge to cancel the conservatorship and I can’t find a single person on the planet who will agree to replace him. After he signed the guardianship, he was left alone,” said the owner of the ship.

The ship was put up for auction.

Mohammed still wants to work in this industry in the future.

“I am the chief mate. Before coming to this ship, I was one step away from receiving the rank of captain. I love my job and I do it well. But this is all just some kind of horror. I still don’t understand how this could happen to me,” says Mohammed.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• March 23 giant container ship Ever Given ran aground in the middle of the Suez Canal and created a huge traffic jam. The passage was cleared only after 6 days, on March 29.

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