The Houthi High Political Council "announced the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader as part of the campaign in support of Gaza."
This was reported by the rebel news agency Saba, cited by AFP.
The move is "in support of the ceasefire agreement" in the Palestinian territory, the same source added.
The captain and senior assistant captain are Bulgarian citizens.
According to BGNES, confirmed by Omani official sources, the crew was heading to Oman, which is a negotiating point with the Houthis.
BGNES recalls that the ship "Galaxy Leader" was attacked and detained by the group "Ansar Allah" in the waters of the Red Sea on November 19, 2023. The Yemeni Houthis announced then that they would detain all vessels owned by Israeli companies as a sign of sympathy and support for Hamas. For nearly six months, no one had access to the ship's crew and the two Bulgarians - the captain Lyubomir Chanev and the senior mate Danail Veselinov.
The crew was shown to the public on 12 May 2024. The Houthis then let a Red Cross team, local and foreign journalists join the sailors. This way the world was convinced that everyone on the ship was alive and well. In the report on the activities of the interim government published at the end of last year, it is written that in 2024 efforts continued to resolve the case of the Bulgarian sailors detained in Yemen. | BGNES
