Iran will free seven crew members, including five Indians of the detained British tanker, Stena Impero, announced Iranian officials on Wednesday, September 4.
The seven crew members, comprising of five Indian, one Latvian and one Russian, were allowed to leave the tanker on humanitarian grounds and could leave Iran soon, BBC reported citing state television.
“They have left the vessel and the final procedures are underway to send them back to their countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state media.
The 18 Indian crew members on board the British-flagged tanker were granted consular access by Iranian authorities on July 19.
The Iranian official said that they had “no problem with the crew and the captain” and were at issue with the “violations that the vessel committed,” according to reports.
Mousavi, however, did not comment on what would happen to the remaining 13 Indian, two Russian and one Filipino crew members.
Indian foreign ministry has not yet issued a statement on the release of the crew members.
Source: International Business Times. Continue reading…
