9 Indian sailors released after months in captivity in Libya
The sailors had informed the Indian embassy in Tunisia in February that they were captured by the local militia after the vessel broke down near Libyan coast.
New Delhi Nine Indian crew members of a merchant vessel have been freed after being held captive by a militia in Libya for more than three months, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
The sailors, who were part of the crew of “MT Maya 1”, had informed the Indian embassy in Tunisia on February 15 that they were captured by the local militia after the vessel broke down near the coast of Libya.
The merchant ship is owned by a Greek company and flies the flag of Cameroon. It was sailing from Malta to Tripoli in Libya with a cargo of oil products.
The Indian mission in Tunisia took up the matter with Libyan authorities and sought consular access. It also asked the Libyan authorities to ensure the safety of the men and to repatriate them to India as soon as possible, the people said. An informal contact acting on behalf of the Indian mission met the crew members almost every week to ensure their early release and to provide them food and other essential items.
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The Indian mission also continued to follow up the matter with authorities in Libya.
All nine Indian crew members were released on May 31. “They have reached Tripoli, where they were received by our ambassador to Tunisia,” one of the people cited above said.
“They have been accommodated in a hotel in Tripoli till their exit visa formalities are completed,” the person added.
Five of the nine Indian crew members are from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
The external affairs ministry and the Indian mission kept the families of the Indian nationals updated regularly regarding developments in the case, the people said.