International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA) has termed the sentence of Sewol ferry captain as a "travesty of justice".
Lee Joon-seok, captain of the sunken South Korean ferry was sentenced to 36 years in prison by the South Korean court for gross negligence over deaths of more than 300 people. IFSMA felt that the sentence of 36 years was "too severe" for the 69-year-old captain Lee.
Related news: Sewol captain sentenced to 36 years
"Should Lee Joon-seok survive, he will be released at the age of 105 years." said Captain Hans Sande, president of IFSMA in a press release. Sande explained that the reaction of the master to the situation was human and Lee was "overwhelmed by what was taking place on his vessel".
However, Sande agreed that the South Korean ferry captain did not react well to the circumstances engulfing him during the incident.
Meanwhile, Deirdre Fitzpatrick, executive director of Seafarers' Rights International (SRI) deemed that the "heightened emotional context" surrounding the incident "might have made it difficult for any court to be dispassionate".
"This complex judgement, in which the master and 14 crew members were convicted of various offences, and sentenced to jail terms ranging up to 36 years, requires careful consideration before any fair comment can be made on the court proceedings, the convictions and the sentences." said Fitzpatrick.