UK jailing of Indian sailor over Russia sanctions sets off ‘perfect storm’

Al Jazeera · Ruchi Kumar · 2026-11-06 08:32 UTC

Captain Ajay Pant was in international waters when his allegedly ‘shadow’ tanker was captured by British soldiers.

Captain Ajay Pant was in international waters when his allegedly ‘shadow’ tanker was captured by British soldiers in a first-of-its-kind case, which has prompted outrage among global seafarers, as his wife tries to free him.

Ritu Pant always made sure that her merchant navy officer husband told her two things before departing on an assignment.

“I always noted the details and the name of his ship and his emergency contact details in case of a crisis,” says Ritu, who is based in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

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