The crew of the Galaxy Leader industrial ship seized by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis final month have been allowed “modest contact” with their households whereas numerous international locations push for his or her launch, the vessel’s proprietor mentioned this week.
The Bahamas flagged automobile service was taken to the port of Hodeidah within the Houthi managed north of Yemen after being boarded at sea on November 19 by commandos with the group.
The vessel’s crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime mentioned. The vessel is chartered by Japan’s Nippon Yusen.
“The safety and welfare of the crew members remains the priority of both owners and managers and the modest contact that has been allowed with crew members and their families suggests that the seafarers are being treated as well as can be expected in the circumstances,” Isle of Man registered proprietor Galaxy Maritime Ltd, mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
“The 25 crew members being held have no connection whatsoever with the current situation in the region,” the proprietor mentioned. “Nothing can be achieved by their further detention.”
The United States has blamed the Houthis for a collection of assaults in Middle Eastern waters since conflict broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. Three vessels had been attacked within the Red Sea space on Sunday.
At an meeting session on Monday of the UN transport company’s highest governing physique, the United States, the Bahamas and Japan referred to as for the unconditional launch of the Galaxy Leader and its crew.
Japan’s delegation advised the International Maritime Organization meeting that it “strongly condemns those acts which threaten the safety and freedom of navigation in that area”.
The Bahamas mentioned the varied assaults together with the Galaxy Leader had been a “violation of all of the norms relating to innocent passage of ships”.
“Here we have non-state actors so who do you hold responsible?” the Bahamas mentioned, referring to the Houthis.
(Reuters – Reporting by Jonathan Saul; modifying by Grant McCool)
