Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Zvicer Zelko, 40, a crewman from the Yugoslavian freighter
Obod, expresses concern for his health yesterday. His ship
was detained by immigration officials and U.S. Marshals,
and Zelko says he has no money to return to
Montenegro or spend in Hawaii.

Yugoslav
crewmen hit shore
after a month
of confinement

A Star-Bulletin story spurred
officials to grant the stranded
crew a 60-day renewable leave

---

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Twenty stranded crew members of the Obod, a rusting Yugoslav freight ship seized by U.S. marshals in Honolulu, were granted permission to go ashore yesterday after being shipbound for a month.

Some of the seamen planned to celebrate their freedom with a few drinks at Aloha Tower Marketplace last night, while another had plans to shop at Sears.

"Probably we should thank the journalists," said Mirko Kapesic through an interpreter.

The electrician said he felt like a prisoner aboard the ship, which docked in Honolulu Harbor on Nov. 4 because of engine trouble.

Immigration officials denied crew members freedom to go ashore after the standard 29 days leave usually granted to foreign crew members expired.

But Tuesday a Star-Bulletin article describing the plight of the crew was published, and immigration officials reconsidered.

"The article made a big difference by having immigration take a second look at them and say these men aren't flight risks," said Ann Stevens, general manager of Kerr Norton Marine/Norton Lilly Hawaii Inc., which handled the affairs for the ship's owner, Barmar-Bar Ship Management Ltd. She said the crewmen are older with families in Yugoslavia.

A tugboat company, Nordic Technical Development, had the Obod seized after its owner failed to pay for towing services. The rusting freighter underwent needed repairs, which are now complete. The ship owner owes several Hawaii companies more than $500,000.

"We felt it was a little too strict to detain these people on board for an extended period of time when it really wasn't their fault," said District Director Don Radcliffe of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

He said his staff did read the Star-Bulletin article and, after considering all the circumstances, went to the ship Tuesday night to grant the crew a 60-day renewable parole to leave the ship.

Radcliffe said a similar case about 10 years ago was handled in a like manner.

But the news did not delight Zvicer Zelko, 40, who said he has no money for shopping and has not been paid a full salary for months.

Many of the seamen send money home to their families, who depend upon them for financial support.

Zelko is also upset because he tore a ligament in his leg Jan. 6 and was given a doctor's approval to return home but still waits for approval from the company.

But yesterday afternoon, a few members of the local Yugoslavian community arrived at the ship. They offered assistance to the crew and invited them to a barbecue at the park with music, food and a game of soccer. Zelko's face seemed to brighten.

Though most crew members are from Montenegro and the Hawaii residents are Serbs, they share language, food and customs, said Honolulu resident Zoran Kovacevic.

"In a foreign country, you go out of your way to help your fellow countrymen," Kovacevic said.

"The worst part of it is, we just found out about this yesterday," said local businessman Miki Vranesevic. "I wish we knew about it when they were in dire straits."