Wife Seeks Help for Husband Facing 30 Years in Turkish Prison

The criminalization case of Syrian-born, Finnish citizen and Chief Mate Ali Albokhari sentenced to a 30-year prison term for allegedly being part of the smuggling of cocaine from Columbia continues to be fought against by his wife, Elena Albokhari.

Ali Albokhari denies the charges. He remains the only crewmember of the Phoenician-M vessel remaining in prison after their 2023 arrest in the Turkish port of Eregli.

Captain Marko Bekavac, also detained, was able to return home to Croatia in August 2025.

The Panama-flagged vessel was transporting coal from Colombia when police found 137kg of cocaine on board. The drugs were initially reported as on board the ship in the aft peak tank and seized by the authorities in Colombia.  

An investigation was not launched at the time and the court did not seek any information from the Colombian authorities, despite the objections of lawyers in Turkey.

The captain immediately informed the ship owner of the discovery before leaving port. However, upon arrival in Ereğli, Turkish police found more cocaine in the cargo hold 2. There is also no information in the file about how the police knew there were more drugs on board and where to find them.  

The crew learnt of the destination of the ship only three days in advance, and Captain Bekavac claims to have requested additional cameras and security before loading the cargo in Colombia. The company did not respond to his request.

No fingerprints belonging to the crew were found on any of the bags containing drugs on the ship.  

At the sentencing in September 2024, the Turkish court stated that Ali's sentence was based on ‘command responsibility’.

According to his wife, Ali has lost hope of release and access to justice.

In a recent visit to London, Elena met with an ITF seafarer representative, senior IMO representatives, and Human Rights at Sea.

ITF has said: “The circumstances of this case are a stark reminder of the vulnerability of seafarers to criminalization and unfair treatment, and the profound human cost this brings. Urgent action is needed to ensure the full implementation of the newly adopted ILO–IMO Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers Detained in Connection with Alleged Crimes. These guidelines outline clear expectations – such as protection from arbitrary detention, maintenance of wages and medical care, and timely legal processes – to ensure that seafarers are treated justly during investigations and proceedings.”

Human Rights at Sea has produced an advocacy film reflecting a personal interview with Elena, released with her permission.

David Hammond, Founder of Human Rights at Sea said: “No seafarer criminalization case is straightforward, but we are pro bono supporting the family as best we can. We are aligned with other key stakeholders and are ensuring that Elena’s very personal story is best profiled to help in some small way to bring Ali home. This process cannot be achieved by any one entity; it involves welfare, union, industry and state-level coordinated diplomatic efforts to be successful.”  

The film was directed by Mairi Eyres, director of photography was Mikey Sneddon, with executive oversight from Sara Pipernos and Human Rights at Sea.