The plight of the crew of the car carrier seized by Houthi forces nearly six months ago appears to have been forgotten by the world, according to a new appeal for their release by the ship’s owner and manager.
The announced release by Iran last week of the crew of the 15,000-teu MSC Aries (built 2020) after just 20 days has highlighted the more desperate plight of the multinational group of 25 seafarers who remain bargaining chips of the Yemeni rebels.
Ray Car Carriers’ 5,100-ceu Galaxy Leader (built 2002) was boarded and seized by Houthi military on 19 November, marking the beginning of the long campaign against merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The crew of Filipinos, Mexicans, Bulgarians, Romanians and Ukrainians remain detained despite pleas for their release by the shipping industry and the head of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez.
After the helicopter-borne commando operation, the car carrier was moved to the Hodeidah anchorage off Yemen for use as a bargaining chip by the Houthis. Ray Car Carriers is ultimately owned by Israel’s Rami Ungar.
The condition of the seafarers remains unclear. US news network CNN reported that Houthi leaders claimed to have handed over the vessel and crew to the Palestinian Hamas group.
“Sadly, the crew seem now forgotten by the outside world and are serving no purpose whatsoever in furthering the Houthis’ cause,” according to the statement.
Human instinct
“So once again the call is going out, asking the Houthi leadership to be human, and release the 25 crew members being held for no good cause, so they can return to their loved ones.”
The appeal is the latest to the Houthis. A joint letter from 29 shipping groups in February urged international organisations and states to make all efforts to secure the release of the seafarers.
Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said last week that the captain and 23 seafarers from the Portugal-flagged MSC Aries would be allowed to leave the country. An Indian cadet was permitted to fly home in April.
The ship had been seized in apparent retaliation for Israel’s bombing of Iran’s embassy complex in Syria. Iran described the release of the MSC Aries crew as a humanitarian act.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is the operator and charterer of the MSC Aries, which is owned by an affiliate of UK-based Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer, who is based in Monaco.
Read more
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