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A
PROMINENT businessman from the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan is
demanding compensation for being prevented from rowing the Atlantic
from La Gomera to Antigua, West Indies.
He claims unfair discrimination grounds of nationality and is
threatening to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights if
he does not get satisfaction.
Victor Gavrishev, general director of a satellite systems company in
Kyrgyzstan, says he was unwillingly and unnecessarily hauled back from
his intended row by coastguards after he had completed just four
miles.
He was then: l Made to pay 697 for the unwanted towing l Fined
30,000 for leaving without proper documentation l Threatened by the
Guardia Civil with immediate arrest and jail if he did not sign a
document he did not understand.
Gavrishev claims his 24ft boat was then impounded without any proper
explanation.
When he made a second attempt at his 3,000-mile row he was again towed
back by coastguards and fined another 30,000.
For the past two months he has been frustrated at every turn in
starting his voyage and was today, Thursday, hoping to meet with
Antonio Padron y Santiago, the man in overall charge of Tenerife
maritime affairs, under whose edicts he has been kept in port.
Gavrishev says Padron came up with new rules of departure to detain
him at Port Sebastian, La Gomera, less than two weeks after allowing a
Spanish rower to depart on the same journey under well used and
established rules for rowers. |
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He
says: I have been frustrated and humiliated at every turn while a
Spanish rower was happily rowing as the first Spaniard to try to row
an ocean. I presented exactly the same documentation as he did and had
been given permission to depart by the harbourmaster at San Sebastian,
yet I was forcibly towed back and fined and he was allowed to continue
rowing. Why was that?
It is a clear and blatant case of discrimination that has cost me a
small fortune, made me appear to be a criminal and wrecked my attempt
to row the ocean.
He estimates his total losses, including the cost of boat and
provisions, freight, personal travel and accommodation, as well as
book and film contracts, at more than 260,000.
Mr Gavrishev says Capitan de Maritimo Padron brought up new rules for
departure during their negotiations.
He complied with those and then was confronted last week with a sudden
edict that, for the safety of rowers, departures could only be made
from Tenerife waters between December 1 and February 15.
He was only informed of this when he was trying to renew his Spanish
visa, which had run out during his enforced stay. His new visa expires
on February 12 so his bid to row to Antigua will be over within a
week.
That is why I want to see Capitan Padron on Thursday and make a last
ditch appeal, Gavrishev said. I shall be knocking on his door
accompanied by a solicitor well versed in Spanish maritime law.
I want to know under what regulations I have been prevented from
departing and fined such enormous amounts. And I also want to know why
there appears to be one law for a Spaniard and another for a citizen
of a foreign country. |
