AFTER spending over 14 months in captivity, it has been reported that the crew of Galaxy Leader were released yesterday (22 January).
The car carrier’s 25-member crew were taken hostage in November 2023 while transiting the Red Sea when the vessel was boarded and hijacked by the Houthis militant group.
The news of the crew’s release was welcomed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez, who said, “This is a moment of profound relief for all of us – not only for the crew and their families, but also to the wider maritime community”.
“Today’s breakthrough is a testament to the power of collective diplomacy and dialogue, recognizing that innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions.
“It is also a return to operations in the Red Sea as we have been accustomed to, and upholding of the freedom of navigation.”
Mr Dominguez said he was grateful for all the member states, regional entities, and international partners whose support and strategic engagement he said was pivotal in securing the crew’s freedom and ensuring their wellbeing.
The crew’s release comes several days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 19 January.
The Yemen-based Houthis began attacks on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea in November 2023, in response to the conflict occurring in the Gaza Strip.
Following the agreement on a ceasefire, the Houthis announced they would now limit their attacks to Israeli-owned and flagged vessels only, which the group says are subject to bans on transiting the Red Sea, as well as Bab el Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Gulf.
The news of the release of Galaxy Leader’s crew was also welcomed by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) secretary-general Guy Platten, commenting, “The fact that the innocent crew were held for over 430 days is unacceptable and a truly dreadful situation”.
“Nobody should have to endure such an ordeal, and we call on all nations to support our seafarers and shipping so that this does not happen again.
“ICS deplores any and all attacks on shipping as they are a breach of international law and threaten the lives of innocent seafarers and the safety of merchant shipping.”
It is unknown if any attempts will be made to recover Galaxy Leader, which was chartered by NYK Line at the time of its seizure, with the vessel having been converted into a tourist site while under seizure.
