Eritrea kidnaps 139 Yemeni fishermen

HODEIDA, Aug. 28 (YPA) – The General Authority for Fisheries in the Red Sea on Sunday condemned the kidnapping of 139 Yemeni fishermen by Eritrean navy pirates while they were fishing in Yemeni sea waters in the Red Sea.

The authority stated in a statement today, Sunday, that the kidnapped fishermen are from Mocha district of Taiz province and Al-Khokha district of Hodeida province, among them 23 who did not exceed the legal age, all of whom were fishing in the territorial waters of the Republic of Yemen.

The statement emphasized that the detained fishermen were taken to a torture camp on the Eritrean coast, and their property and fishing equipment, which are the only sources of livelihood for them and their families, were confiscated.

In its statement, the authority denounced the continued silence of the United Nations, its humanitarian organizations and the international community towards the criminal practices of Eritrean navy pirates against defenseless Yemeni fishermen.

The authority called for urgent action to release the detained fishermen and their fishing equipment, and to work to stop all recurring criminal acts against all fishermen.

YPA