Moscow expects Libya to explain detention of ship with Russian crew aboard - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. April 19 (Interfax) - Libyan authorities have still not presented the Russian Foreign Ministry an official explanation for the reasons behind the detention of the Merle dry cargo ship with Russian crew onboard, and the Russian Foreign Ministry is doing its utmost for the soonest possible release of the crewmembers, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"The Libyan coast guard detained the aforementioned dry cargo ship in Libyan waters on March 5 and convoyed it to the port city of Tripoli. Seven crewmembers were onboard; all of them are Russian citizens. They are being held at a military base in the country's capital," Zakharova said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
"The Russian Embassy to Libya temporarily located in Tunisia immediately got in touch with Libyan authorities in Tripoli to get information about the incident involving this ship," she said.
"The Libyan court extended the detention of the sailors by one month on April 3. The Tripoli government has unfortunately not presented an official explanation in reply to our numerous requests about the reasons behind the dry cargo ship's detention, citing an ongoing investigation," she said.
"Despite numerous recommendations to Russian economic operators who carry out international shipments and to Russians crewmembers to refrain from visits to Libya, such instances persist," Zakharova said.
"The Russian Foreign Ministry will continue to undertake all possible measures to ensure rights of Russian citizens and their soonest release," she said.
As was reported earlier, the coast guard in the western Libyan city of Zawia in Libyan coastal waters detained the Russian dry cargo ship Merle on March 5 and convoyed it later to the port of Tripoli. The ship is owned by the St. Petersburg-based MT Group Company. The crew comprises seven people; all of them are Russian citizens.
