Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan has repatriated two own nationals, who suffered in a shipwreck near Tunisia’s Gabes city, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

According to the ministry, on April 16, 2022, the Equatorial Guinea-flagged Xelo ship sank off due to unfavorable weather conditions near the city of Gabes, Tunisia. Fadail Safarov and Ali Panahli, two of the ship's seven crew members, were Azerbaijani citizens.

The ship's crew members have been detained by the Tunisian law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident and give a legal assessment.

In order to provide essential consular support to its citizens, the Azerbaijani government submitted official requests to the appropriate state authorities and meetings were held with the relevant state bodies of Tunisia, as well as visits were paid to the ship's detained crew members.

Moreover, the ship owner company was contacted and negotiations were held on the issue of providing legal and financial assistance to the citizens in a difficult situation, the ministry said.

At the penultimate court session held at the Gabes City Primary Court on August 10, 2022, the decision was taken to free the crew members of the crashed ship. The Azerbaijani citizens were evacuated from Tunisia on August 21, 2022, it added.

The Azerbaijani government will continue to take necessary measures to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, regardless of where they are in accordance with the national legislation and international agreements that the country is a party to, the ministry stressed.

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