CAIRO: A total of 15 Egyptian fishermen who were detained in Tunisia over crossing into territorial waters have been released, state-owned MENA reported Friday.
The travel procedures of the freed fishermen have been finalized; while legal authorization to free the seized boat is yet to be issued.
On the other hand, the head of the Fishermen Syndicate Ahmed Nassar called upon Egyptian authorities to interfere to release 47 other fishermen held in the war-torn Libya.
The 47 were on board of at least three fishing boats; the latest seized boat, called “Abu Hanaa,” was stopped by Libya coast guards over “illegal fishing” in Libyan waters without prior license.
A total of 101 Egyptian fishermen were arrested and were standing trial in Sudan over trespassing into Sudanese territorial waters; all of them were pardoned per a decision by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir Wednesday.
In exchange, Egypt freed some 44 Sudanese miners who were previously detained in Egypt.