The sailors of the tanker Unity arrested in India, including a Kazakh citizen, have been promised by lawyers a speedy return home, with October 28 set as the deadline, according to infohub.kz.
One crew member, speaking to RIA Novosti, relayed the lawyers' words: "The lawyers told the captain: 'Don't worry, you'll all leave by the 28th.'"
The Russian Consulate General in Kolkata clarified that lawyers for the parties continue to study the court's decision. The opposing side has a month to file an appeal, and the exact timing and procedure for the sailors' return have not yet been determined.
As Kursiv previously reported, a Kazakh citizen is aboard the tanker Unity. The vessel was detained on May 11 near Paradip port due to the shipowner's debt to a fuel supplier. The crew consisted of 23 sailors: one Kazakh, 20 Russians, and two Egyptian citizens.
Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhanbolat Usenov, said at the time that Kazakh diplomats had sent a note to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs requesting assistance in returning the compatriot home. Some crew members had by then spent more than 10 months on the vessel, and most contracts had already expired or were ending in September.
On October 8, Kursiv wrote that the court instructed Indian authorities to organize the return of the sailors and send a replacement crew to the tanker. The decision was issued on October 6.
The crew was recognized as abandoned by the shipowner: the sailors were not paid wages, not provided with necessary supplies, and not organized for return home. Later, the insurer paid off the debt and restored supplies, but the sailors remained on board.