Ten fishermen from Bandar Lenge who had been in the custody of the UAE coast guard since late Mordad arrived in Bandar Abbas today.

Ten fishermen from Bandar Lenge who had been in the custody of the UAE coast guard since late Mordad arrived in Bandar Abbas today.

The office director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic in Bandar Abbas said that the fishermen were found “in an Emirati prison” following consular follow-ups. They entered Tehran on the evening of the previous day and returned to the province today by domestic flight.

Mohammad Solaymani’s explanation of the one-week delay differs from what he had said six days earlier.

On Shahrivar 16, Solaymani said: “At the last moment, the Emirati side prevented the exit of these Hormozgan citizens without providing a reasonable reason.” Today, he said the fishermen did not have passports and that a temporary travel document was issued for them: “Due to the temporary nature of their travel documents, their flight was canceled at the last moment.”

According to reports, the case of three other people remains pending. According to Solaymani, the families of 13 fishermen reported their missing in early Mordad. Their families say they had been with the 10 fishermen who were detained.