From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed Sep 10 2008 - 10:25:29 EDT
Iran denies agreement on vessel ransom
Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:12:45 GMT
*Iran has rejected reports that it has agreed to a 2-million-dollar
ransom for the safe return of its vessel hijacked by Somali pirates. *
Fisheries minister for the semi-autonomous Puntland region, Abdulqadir Muse
Yusuf, told Reuters on Sunday that a deal had been struck between Iran and
pirates on the return of the Iranian ship.
Yusuf claimed the Iranian ship with 28 crew members would be freed once the
US$2 million ransom is paid.
An Iranian official, however, denied the report on Wednesday, saying,
"negotiations are underway but no agreement has been reached on the US$2
million ransom with the pirates."
The deputy CEO of Iran's shipping company, Ibrahim Mohammad-Nabi, also
rejected the Puntland minister's allegations that the Iranian bulk carrier
was 'carrying weapons to Eritrea', asserting that the ship - *Iran
Diyanat*- had no weapons on board.
The ship, which was carrying 42,500 tons of different mineral and industrial
materials, was hired by a German company before it was hijacked in the Gulf
of Aden off the Somali coast on August 21.
Mohammad-Nabi also confirmed that no Russian or Syrian nationals are aboard
the vessel, rejecting Yusuf's claims that an international crew operates the
Iranian ship.
Various international cargo ships have been hijacked near Somalia.
Somali gunmen are reportedly holding more than 10 ships for ransom at Eyl, a
lawless former fishing outpost.
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