THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has acknowledged the one year anniversary of the seizure of car carrier Galaxy Leader, from which the crew of the vessel remains held hostage in Yemen.

Speaking in Hong Kong, secretary general of the ICS Guy Platten said, “The seafarers, some of whom have been at sea for nearly two years, have been held against their will only limited contact with their families, friends, and loved ones”.

“Innocent seafarers and families who have had their lives irrevocably changed by geopolitical forces wholly out of their control.”

The total crew of 25, which includes 17 Filipinos, three Ukranians, two Bulgarians, two Mexicans, and a Romanian, were taken hostage and Galaxy Leader captured when Houthi militants boarded the vessel using a helicopter, and marked the group’s first high-profile attack on global shipping following the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

The Houthis reportedly cited Iraeli-linked ownership interests of Galaxy Leader’s owner-operator Ray Car Carriers as justification for the seizure of the vessel.  

In August, the Philippines government reportedly said that several of the Filipino crewmembers were experiencing health issues, including showing symptoms of malaria.

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross was able to visit the vessel’s crew on at least two occasions this year, where they are held in the Al Hudaydah governate in western Yemen.

Overseas media reported from the Red Cross team that the crew was in “good condition” and receiving humane treatment, and said the crew members had been allowed to communicate with their families.

“This is unconscionable and must not be allowed to endure. We are thinking of the seafarers and all of those affected at this time, and we continue to call for humanity to prevail and their immediate release,” Mr Platten commented in the ICS statement.

Meanwhile, since capturing the vessel, Galaxy leader has remarkably been turned into a tourist destination by the Houthis.

Reportedly anchored off the port of Saleef, the ship is regularly boarded by men who, for a fee, can walk around and explore the vessel, with videos circulating the internet of people onboard dancing, smoking, and filming content for social media.

Various authorities are continuing efforts to negotiate the release of the crew members, which have so far been unsuccessful.