Report Raises Concerns Over Seafarers Jailed in Türkiye

A new independent report has called for urgent international action in the case of two senior seafarers convicted of drug trafficking in Türkiye, warning that significant gaps in the evidence could point to a “grave miscarriage of justice”.

Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) reviewed the convictions of Syrian-born Finnish citizen and chief officer Ali Albokhari and Croatian captain Marko Bekavac. Both men were serving onboard the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Phoenician M when cocaine was discovered in Colombia and later allegedly recovered in Türkiye in 2023.

The 46-page HRAS report highlights three main areas of concern: missing evidence from Colombia, questions surrounding the chain of custody of the drugs allegedly seized in Türkiye, and what the organization describes as the use of the officers’ senior positions to establish responsibility without clear evidence that either man knew about or participated in drug trafficking.

Albokhari remains imprisoned in Türkiye almost three years after his arrest. HRAS brought forward publication of its report following new claims from Albokhari’s family that prison authorities have increased threats to transfer him to Finland as a convicted prisoner to serve what is now a 33-year sentence.

The organization argues that repeatedly raising the possibility of a transfer while legal efforts to overturn the conviction are continuing is causing Albokhari severe psychological distress and could amount to mental torture.

Cocaine Discovered in Colombia

The case dates back to September 2023, when Phoenician M was in Barranquilla, Colombia. Colombian authorities reportedly discovered 137 kg of cocaine in the vessel’s aft peak tank, close to the steering gear compartment. The packages were marked with the emblem of Turkish soccer club Kayserispor.

Statements were taken from crew members, but nobody onboard was arrested.

Following a meeting with harbor authorities and an underwater inspection of the vessel, Phoenician M was given permission to depart Colombia and continue its voyage to Türkiye. According to HRAS, important records relating to the Colombian inspection were never presented to the Turkish court.

Questions Raised Over Turkish Drug Discovery

When the vessel reached Ereğli on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast in early October, an initial search by Turkish authorities reportedly failed to uncover any drugs. However, during subsequent coal discharge operations, bags and packages allegedly containing 101.5 kg of cocaine were recovered from locations connected with cargo hold No. 2 and shoreside cargo handling.

HRAS identifies this part of the case as one of its most significant areas of concern. The organization says it has not seen photographs, a forensic report, an exhibit register or chain-of-custody records that would establish precisely where the drugs were discovered or demonstrate continuity between the substances allegedly recovered and the vessel.

Ten of the ship’s 20 crew members were subsequently arrested.

Captain and Chief Officer Sentenced to 30 Years

On Sept. 16, 2024, the Karadeniz Ereğli High Criminal Court sentenced Albokhari and Bekavac to 30 years in prison. Each was also fined TRY200,000 ($4,171). The remaining eight defendants were acquitted.

According to the HRAS report, the two prison sentences were later increased to 33 years following non-payment of the fines. However, HRAS said it has not seen the primary decision establishing the legal basis and current effect of the extension.

Bekavac spent almost two years in prison before being unexpectedly returned to Croatia in August 2025 following diplomatic intervention. He remains convicted in Türkiye and, according to HRAS, continues to face limitations on his employment opportunities as well as concerns about international travel.

Albokhari is now the only Phoenician M crew member who remains in prison.

Legal Team Continues to Challenge Conviction

Albokhari’s lawyers are pursuing an extraordinary legal remedy under Article 308 of Türkiye’s Criminal Procedure Code. The Court of Cassation previously upheld his conviction by a 3-2 majority. However, two judges dissented, while the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had reportedly recommended overturning the conviction.

The defense argues that investigators in Türkiye failed to obtain relevant Colombian records or properly investigate the original intelligence behind the Turkish operation. It also claims that important police and port witnesses were not heard and that digital evidence was not adequately examined.

HRAS further points to what it describes as a lack of direct forensic evidence connecting Albokhari to the cocaine. According to the report, there was no fingerprint evidence, surveillance evidence, communications evidence or witness testimony demonstrating his involvement in a drug trafficking operation.

The defense instead argues that criminal responsibility was largely inferred from Albokhari’s positions as chief officer and ship security officer.

Previous Turkish Case Raises Questions Over Crew Liability

HRAS also points to a previous Turkish case involving the Panama-flagged capesize Shandong De Rui.

In 2020, authorities discovered 31 kg of cocaine inside an underwater “torpedo” magnetically attached to the vessel, which had also transported coal from Colombia to Türkiye. The ship’s captain and chief officer were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

After spending more than four years in detention, their convictions were overturned by Türkiye’s Criminal General Assembly in January 2025. The court found that prosecutors had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the officers had participated in importing the cocaine.

It also accepted that professional third parties could have attached the drugs to the vessel externally without the crew’s knowledge and determined that holding a senior rank alone was not sufficient to prove criminal responsibility.

HRAS acknowledges that the circumstances surrounding *Phoenician M *are different. However, it argues that the earlier ruling raises important questions about how courts distinguish between a seafarer’s professional responsibility onboard and evidence of personal criminal intent.

HRAS Calls for International Intervention

HRAS is calling for the missing evidence from both Colombia and Türkiye to be disclosed and independently reviewed. The organization is also seeking continued diplomatic involvement from Finland and Croatia, as well as engagement from Interpol and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

If legal options within Türkiye are ultimately exhausted, the report says that taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights should also be considered.