Estonian Anti-Piracy Personnel Case Continues, Demonstration Held
The defense lawyers of the Estonian anti-piracy personnel who have been detained in India for over a year met with the Indian high court officials and prosecution on Monday.
The defense now has to submit another written response to prosecution's appeal. The prosecution, in turn, can respond to that, reported ERR's radio news.
So there will be at least one more official meeting before the case will go in front of the high court in December, if everything goes according to plan.
Estonian ambassador in India Viljar Lubi is unable to say how fast the court will then reach a decision. The embassy continues to work in close contact with the men, their lawyers and the Indian authorities.
Meanwhile, the families and friends of the men detained in India staged a demonstration in front of the Foreign Ministry on Friday.
The demonstration was organized by Andrei Vesterinen, a veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan and was later employed by the same security firm whose personnel was arrested in India.
The demonstrators said that the government is doing too little to bring the men back home.
The Estonians, along with Ukrainians and British nationals, were arrested last fall for alleged arms violations in Indian territorial waters. An Indian court dropped charges against the Estonians on July 10. But they have yet to receive their passports back, which they need to apply for an exit visa. The Indian police have now appealed the case.