Ajman: A group of Emirati fishermen whose fishing boats were seized by Iran on September 30 for straying into Iranian waters appeared before an Iranian court on Saturday.

The group comprises eight Emiratis as well as number of Asian crewmen. The boats are owned by Emirati fishermen and on board each boat are roughly seven to 12 Asian crewmen.

They are being tried for trespassing into Iranian territorial waters and fishing, Obaid Saeed Al Daheel, one of the stranded UAE fishermen told Gulf News.

“On Saturday we appeared before the court and we await the decision after five days,” he said.

Gulf News spoke to the stranded fishermen on Sunday. They said that they were not detained by Iranian authorities and their boats were seized because they unintentionally trespassed into Iranian territorial waters.

“A naval patrol belonging to Iran surrounded us and seized our boats,” a fisherman said. The men are still in possession of their cellphones and belongings.

The fishermen confirmed that they were in good condition and are living aboard their boats while they take permission from military guards to go and buy their food.

An official source of the Dubai Fishermen’s Association, who preferred not to be named, said fishermen have been advised to stay in UAE waters but sometimes stray.

“All the fish species they go looking for in those distant places are now available on the UAE coast and other fishermen get them here,” he said. “Our role as the fishermen’s leaders is always to guide them on what is right and it is their responsibility as well to follow our advice.”

The fishermen said that they could not return to UAE without their fishing boats, each of which costs Dh500,000.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Coast Guard are working to help them come home and they contact the fishermen daily to check on their condition and their needs, the association said.

The Iranian authorities earlier stopped several Emirati boats on alleged charges of breaching Iranian territorial waters. Detainees usually remain in custody for up to 60 days, before being fined between Dh25,000 and Dh150,000