Rauff Hakeem stated in Parliament yesterday (11) that although a request had been made to rotate 13 sailors from the Iranian vessel “Bushehr”—currently anchored in Trincomalee—the Ministry of Defence has so far granted permission for the rotation of only three sailors.
He noted, however, that the Indian government had considered requests made by the Iranian government regarding Iranian sailors serving on a vessel anchored in India, and had granted permission for approximately 30 sailors to be rotated and repatriated.
MP Rauff Hakeem emphasized that, given the families’ anticipation of their return, the government must take responsibility and ensure a swift diplomatic intervention regarding this matter. Responding to this, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra stated that the necessary attention has been paid to the safety, welfare, and dignity of the Iranian sailors from the very beginning. The Deputy Minister added that steps are being taken to resolve the remaining issues in coordination with the Ministry of Defence and other relevant agencies.