LONDON / HELSINKI, 14 August 2026. The family of Chief Officer Ali Albokhari has reiterated its opposition to an immediate transfer from prison in Türkiye to Finland while legal proceedings seeking to overturn his conviction continue.
Albokhari, a Finnish national of Syrian birth and former chief officer of the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Phoenician-M, was convicted by the Karadeniz Ereğli High Criminal Court in September 2024 alongside Croatian master Captain Marko Bekavac.
Both men deny involvement in drug smuggling offences.
The case has since entered a further stage of judicial review after the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation formally objected to the decision confirming the conviction and requested that it be set aside on grounds including alleged deficiencies in the investigation.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Albokhari family, and reproduced with permission, Elena Albokhari explained why the family believes any decision regarding transfer should await the outcome of the current judicial review process.
QUOTE.
"I would like to clarify once again our position regarding the proposed transfer of Ali to Finland, because I am increasingly concerned that our hesitation is being interpreted as an unreasonable refusal of assistance.
We are not rejecting Finland, nor are we saying that a transfer could never be considered. We are saying that we do not believe that this is the appropriate moment to make such a serious decision.
Ali’s case is once again under judicial review. The Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation has formally objected to the decision confirming the conviction and has requested that the decision be set aside, identifying serious deficiencies and an incomplete investigation.
In these circumstances, our priority must remain the judicial review of the conviction and the possibility of Ali returning home as a free man.
Our objective has remained unchanged throughout:
Ali should come home as soon as possible. But our hope is that he comes home because justice has been done and the serious deficiencies in his case have finally been addressed — not simply because the location in which he serves a life sentence has changed from Türkiye to Finland.
We therefore respectfully ask the Finnish authorities and Ali’s legal representatives to continue concentrating every possible effort on the judicial process that is now underway and to provide us with the requested legal clarification before asking Ali to make any decision regarding transfer.”
UNQUOTE.
HRAS COMMENT
The defence maintains that additional information has emerged which warrants further judicial scrutiny of the convictions and the underlying investigation. The family argues that any decision regarding transfer should be considered only after the current judicial review process has been concluded.
ENDS.
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Source: Human Rights at Sea 2026.
Photo credit: Elena Albokhari 2026.
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