Eight out of 16 crew members detained on an oil/chemical tanker by Iran have been released. Iranian authorities have released eight of the 16 Indian crew members detained since mid-December aboard a tanker and will soon return home, an Indian official confirmed on Thursday.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that consular officials in Bandar Abbas met with the crew and that the release of the eight seafarers is being processed.
The freed sailors are expected to return home upon the completion of necessary formalities.
“On Iran, the 16 sailors that you mentioned, we’ve had consular access. Our officials in Bandar Abbas, they have gone and met them. Of those 16, eight people… this is what we’ve been informed by the Iranian authorities… eight of them have been released and they will be returning home as and when the necessary formalities for their travel are completed,” Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal added that Indian authorities remain in contact with Tehran regarding the eight sailors still detained. “In regard to the remaining eight sailors, we are in touch with Iranian authorities, and we’ll see how best to support them for whatever need they may have,” he said during the weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
Around mid-December, the Indian diplomatic mission in Iran was informed that the vessel operated by a UAE-based company was detained by Iranian authorities, along with the 16 Indian crew members on board.
India’s diplomatic mission in Iran has since been engaged in securing consular access to the crew and their release.
The consulate of India in Bandar Abbas sought consular access on December 14 and had since raised the matter with Iranian authorities through diplomatic correspondence and in-person meetings in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including at the level of the Ambassador. Indian authorities had also pressed Iran to allow the detained crew to communicate with their families in India.
The Indian mission has been actively engaged in ensuring the welfare of the crew, arranging for food, water and fuel supplies with assistance from the Iranian navy. The mission has also been coordinating with the UAE-based ship-owning company to ensure legal representation for the crew members and regular provision of supplies.
According to the Embassy of India in Tehran, the consulate established contact with the ship-owning company on December 15 and had since remained in touch with the company’s Iran-based agents to press for legal support and the provision of supplies. The Indian consulate in Dubai had also been pressing upon the ship-owning company to ensure legal representation and regular provision of supplies to the ship.
