Eight of the 16 Indian sailors detained in Iran have been released and will return to India after completing travel formalities, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
Addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is in touch with Iranian authorities regarding the release of the remaining eight sailors and has assured full support to them.
“We’ve had consular access. Our Consulate in Bandar Abbas, our officials in Bandar Abbas, have gone and met them. Of those 16, eight people — this is what we have been informed by the Iranian authorities — have been released, and they will be returning home once the necessary travel formalities are completed. Regarding the remaining eight sailors, we are in touch with the Iranian authorities and will see how best to support them for whatever needs they may have,” Jaiswal told reporters.
On January 17, the Indian Embassy in Tehran said it had been informed that Iranian authorities detained the vessel MT Valiant Roar in mid-December with 16 Indian crew members on board. The embassy said the Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas made multiple requests to Iranian authorities for consular access to the crew.
According to the embassy, the Consulate also contacted the UAE-based company that owns the ship on December 15 and has since been in touch with the company’s Iran-based agents, urging them to ensure the provision of food, water and fuel for the vessel and to arrange legal representation for the crew in Iranian courts.
(IANS)
