Libya releases 15 Egyptian fishermen after four-month detention

Fifteen Egyptian fishermen were released Monday by Libyan authorities after being detained for four months in Libya’s Benghazi, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

The assistant foreign minister for consular affairs and Egyptians abroad, Hisham El-Naqeeb, announced the release of the fishermen in a press statement, saying that they were detained for “breaching regional Libyan waters.”

He added that the Egyptians will be transported to the Salloum border crossing in preparation for their return to Egypt.

El-Naqeeb renewed his adjuration that Egyptian mariners should not enter the maritime borders of other countries.

Egyptian fishermen have been repeatedly detained for territorial breaches in neighbouring countries.

In October, 24 Egyptian fishermen were separately released from Sudan and Tunisia after having been detained for illegally entering those countries’ borders.

In August, Tunisia released 15 Egyptian fishermen who were arrested a month prior, also for territorial breaches, near the Tunisian Sfax Port.

Also in August, Sudan released 101 Egyptian fishermen who were detained near Port Sudan for illegally trespassing on their way to Eritrean waters.