by Fars News Agency
Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization announced on Wednesday that the Marshall Islands-flagged trade ship that Iranian naval forces seized in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday is still in custody upon a court order, rejecting an Arab media report that the vessel has been freed.
TEHRAN
(FNA)- The Russian mission in Tehran announced that it hasn’t received
any demand for consular services from the country's nationals that are
among the crew members of the Marshall Islands-flagged trade ship seized
by the Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf earlier this week.
The
Russian Embassy in Tehran is ready to provide assistance to a captain's
mate from the Danish vessel Maersk Tigris seized in Iran, but no such
request has so far been made, Maxim Suslov, the embassy's press attaché,
was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
"We are looking into the situation and are
maintaining contact with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and with our
partners from the Danish embassy, as the vessel belongs to a Danish
company. We have yet to find out his name and surname, and if he
addresses us, all the necessary assistance will be provided to him in
any case," Suslov said.
"No restrictions have been imposed on the vessel's
crew members, and they can disembark and apply for consular assistance
if need be," he said.
"As concerns the Russian citizen, the Russian embassy has so far not received any requests or applications from him," he said.
"I would like to point out that, above all, the
matter concerns a dispute between two businesses, which are the ship's
owners, that is, the Danish company Maersk, and an Iranian private firm.
They are litigating the payment of the Danish company's debt. The
vessel has been seized within the framework of this litigation," Suslov
said.
"Despite some claims about the status of the
seized ship, the vessel, Maersk Tigris, is still in custody," IPMO
Deputy Chief Hadi Haqshenas told FNA on Wednesday, rejecting two
Al-Jazeera urgent news reports on Tuesday night and Wednesday alleging
that the Marshall Islands-flagged ship has been freed by Iran to
continue its voyage.
"The ship is still held in Shaheed Bahonar Port and the report about its release is hereby denied," the official reiterated.
The Iranian naval forces seized the trade vessel
with all its 34 crew yesterday and immediately took it to Shaheed
Bahonar Port in Southern Iran.
After informed sources told FNA last night that
"the ship ... has been seized by the Iranian naval forces at the request
of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization", Haqshenas explained in his
today remarks that Maersk Tigris has been engaged in payment disputes
with the Iranian "Pars Tala'eyeh Oil Products Company" for several
years.
He said the Iranian company had "started
litigation in recent years to sue Maersk Line Shipping Co.", adding that
"after the court of appeal upheld the initial court ruling in the favor
of the Iranian company, ordering Maersk Line Shipping Co. to make up
for the financial losses of the plaintiff, the decree was sent to Iran's
Ports and Maritime Organization - which is in charge of maritime
affairs according to the international laws and regulations - on March
15, 2015 to be put into effect".
"The IPMO then requested the operational forces to put the court ruling in action," Haqshenas continued.
Haqshenas's statements were later today repeated
in an official statement of the IPMO, where the organization underscored
that the seizure was "purely the result of a legal case and not a
military development in nature".
The statement also added that all the moves made
with regard to the vessel, including the court proceedings and ruling,
"fully comply with the international laws and maritime rules and
regulations".
"The IPMO is no party of interest in this
litigation by any means as it has never filed any complaint against the
abovementioned (Maersk) company," the statement emphasized.
"Given the legal nature of the case and
considering that the responsibility for the seized vessel falls under
the judicial authority now, its release will only be possible through a
judicial decree," it stressed.
The IPMO statement also reiterated that Maersk Co.
has been fully briefed about the detailed measures adopted with regard
to the vessel and the crew since its seizure in the Strait of Hormuz
yesterday.
Later today, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
Marziyeh Afkham also made similar remarks, stressing the legal nature of
the seizure.
She also underlined that the crew are "fully sound and healthy" and "have been provided with full consular access".
Maersk Co. confirmed on Wednesday that the crew is
safe. Cor Radings, a spokesman for the ship’s operator, Rickmers Ship
Management in Singapore, said the company had been in touch by phone
with the crew earlier in the day.
“We have had the confirmation that they are in relatively good condition and safe on board the ship,” he said.
Radings identified the crew members as “mainly
from Eastern Europe and Asia.” He said the ship was owned by “private
investors” but would not elaborate.
Iranian sources had earlier stated that the crew members were from Britain, Bulgaria, Romania and Myanmar.
International law recognizes Iran that has the
lengthiest coastline (more than 2,000km) on the rims of the Persian Gulf
as to be in charge of security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of
Hormuz.
In Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
(IRGC) Navy is responsible for protecting security of territorial waters
in the Persian Gulf, while the naval forces of the regular army are in
charge of security in the Caspian Sea as well as missions in the high
seas.
Fars News Agency
Source: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940212000428
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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