India Presses Iran For Early Consular Access To 16 Detained Indians

India will continue to press Iranian authorities to grant early consular access to the 16 Indian crew members of a commercial vessel that was detained last month, the Indian embassy in Tehran said on Saturday.

The mission said it was informed in mid-December about the detention of the vessel, MT Valiant Roar, with the Indian crew onboard.

"The Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas immediately (on December 14) wrote to the Government of Iran seeking consular access to the crew," the embassy said in a statement.

It said the request for consular access has been repeated numerous times since then, both by diplomatic correspondence and in-person meetings in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including at the level of the ambassador.

"The matter is expected to be subject to judicial process in Iran," the embassy said.

"However, the Mission and the Consulate continue to press the Iranian authorities to grant early consular access to the crew, and to ensure expeditious completion of the judicial proceedings," it said.

The embassy said the Iranian authorities were also requested to allow the crew to communicate with their families in India.

The Indian consulate in Bandar Abbas also established contact on December 15 with the United Arab Emirates-based company that owns the ship.

Subsequently, it has also been in touch with the Iran-based agents of the company to press for providing food, water and fuel to the ship, and also to arrange legal representation for the crew in Iranian courts, the embassy said.

"Upon being informed by the ship of depleting food and water stocks, the mission intervened with the Iranian navy to arrange emergency supplies of food and water in early January," it said.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai has also been pressing the ship-owning company to ensure legal representation and regular supplies to the ship, it said.

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