BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 23. Two Azerbaijanis were among the crew members of the shipwrecked boat in Tunisia, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
According to the ministry, a ship, sailing under the flag of Equatorial Guinea, crashed near the city of Gabes in Tunisia due to unfavorable weather conditions on April 16, 2022. It has been established that among the seven crew members of the ship two were Azerbaijanis - Safarov Fadail and Panakhly Ali.
The crew members were detained by Tunisian law enforcement to investigate the incident and give a legal assessment.
In order to provide the necessary consular assistance to Azerbaijani citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan addressed official appeals to the relevant state bodies, held meetings in the relevant state structures of Tunisia, and detained crew members were visited. In addition, communication was established with the ship's company owner and negotiations were held on the provision of legal and financial assistance to citizens in a difficult situation.
At the last court hearing in Gabes City Court in Tunisia held on August 10, 2022, it was decided to release the ship's crew members. Azerbaijani citizens left the territory of Tunisia on August 21, 2022.
Azerbaijani government will continue to take the necessary measures to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, wherever they are, in accordance with national legislation and international treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party, the ministry states.