EXCLUSIVE: 'Chennai Six' Sister Abused Online

11 January 2017, 06:00

The sister of an Ashington man, who’s serving a five-year sentence in an Indian prison, has exclusively told Capital she’s being trolled online over her campaign to free him.

Nick Dunn and five other British ex-soldiers, now referred to as the ‘Chennai Six’, were arrested in October 2013 while working on a US-owned anti-piracy ship on Indian waters.

They’re accused of illegally carrying weapons on board but have always maintained their innocence, saying they were protecting other ships from pirate attacks.

Now, Nick’s sister Lisa has revealed to Capital she is receiving online abuse over her fight to get the men released from jail.

She exclusively told Capital:
“All I’m trying to do is keep my family together and fight for my brother to come home and that’s taking up every single part of me, so to read such negative comments is absolutely soul destroying.”

“They’re so personal and you start to become paranoid.”

“I’m already dealing with this whole situation but to then add further negative feelings like paranoia and distress." 



She’s spoken out about her ordeal on the first anniversary of the men being sentenced to five years in prison.

Since their original arrest in 2013, the men served time in jail before being acquitted and released, however the Indian authorities refused to re-issue their passports, preventing them from flying home.

After being re-charged and sentenced, their plight was recently raised by Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to India, describing it as a “case of concern.”

A judge in India is still to give his verdict over the group’s appeal, so for Lisa and her family their agonising wait goes on.

Lisa continued:
“I worry about the whole family, I worry about Nick – every day is a constant worry.”

“The thought of having this worry for the next three years, I can’t even bear it.”