Freed from one trap by the Mexican judiciary, the Mary Nour, still languishes in the port of Altamira, waiting for clearance by the Mexican customs, who claim that the ship entered the port illegally to discharge cement there. In effect Altamira port is not allowed to handle cement and thus Mary Nour’s actions in trying to discharge there after it had been unlawfully refused permission to enter Tampico to discharge, was thus also illegal, and the cement on board thus confiscated – according to the Mexican customs. The fact that the ship was invited there to discharge its cement cargo by Altamira port authorities after first being denied access to Tampico seems to have escaped the notice of the Mexican officials.
Jordan’s CTI group, owner of the 34,000-dwt cement carrier Mary Nour that has been stranded at Altamira port in Mexico for more than a month, says it will go to any international maritime authority to ensure the freeing of the ship from Mexico and allowing it to discharge its 27,000-tonne cargo in neighbouring Tampico port.
News reports from Mexico said the country’s federal customs agency has a month to decide whether to let local company Comercio para el Desarrollo Mexicano (CDM) take delivery of the cargo of Russian-sourced cement from the ship.
Mazen Dajani of CTI claims that the ships crew are having their human rights violated by the Mexican customs, particularly over following proper procedures and customs insistence of pursuing unfounded criminal investigations without due course to international law and procedures.
