Crew of Galaxy Leader ship released by Yemen’s Houthis after 430 days in captivity

Bahamas-flagged vehicle carrier was seized by the Iran-backed group in the Red Sea in November 2023

Crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel have been released by the Houthi rebels in Sanaa, Yemen. AFP

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The crew of a vehicle carrier ship hijacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels have been released after 430 days in captivity.

The Houthis said they released the sailors to neighbouring Oman in a statement broadcast by Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV. The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader and its 25 crew, who are Filipino, Romanian, Bulgarian, Mexican and Ukrainian, were seized in the Red Sea in November 2023.

Oman mediated their release and the sultanate's Foreign Ministry confirmed the crew had been transferred to Muscat from Sanaa on Wednesday on an Omani air force plane. “The sultanate of Oman values the co-operation extended by the concerned parties in facilitating and completing this process,” the ministry said in a statement.

Japanese company NYK line operates the Galaxy Leader, but it is owned by Ray Car Carriers, registered in the Isle of Man and affiliated with the Israeli billionaire Abraham Ungar. The National reported in November 2023 that an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spy ship may have played a role in the capture of the ship, which had its location transponder turned off.

Since then, the owners of the ship say some of the crew have been in hospital and are eager to leave Yemen. Hopes were raised yesterday when the owners and managers of the ship said in a statement that the “horror story” of their captivity was almost over.

“They were never involved, nor were their countries, yet for more than a year they have had their freedom curtailed. Time to move on,” the statement to Lloyds List read. It came after the Iran-backed group said it would switch to only attacking Israel-linked ships after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza last week.

The Galaxy Leader became a tourist site for Yemenis after it was seized by the Houthis. Reuters

The ship was towed to Yemen's coastline and became a popular attraction, with civilians touring the boat. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said news of the release was “heartwarming”.

“This is a step in the right direction and I urge Ansar Allah [the Houthis] to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks,” he added.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, said it was “a moment of profound relief” for the crew, their families and the wider marine community.

“Today’s breakthrough is a testament to the power of collective diplomacy and dialogue, recognising that innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions,” he said. “It is also a return to operations in the Red Sea as we have been accustomed to, and the upholding of the freedom of navigation.”

The Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, in solidarity with Hamas over Israel's war on Gaza. This has had a profound effect on international shipping in the area, forcing companies to reroute to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa. Each rerouted journey adds more than 20,300km to the journeys, costing $1 million more in fuel, the US Defence Intelligence Agency estimated.

In April last year, the agency found at least 29 major energy and shipping companies had amended their routes and container shipping through the Red Sea had dropped by 90 per cent. The US and EU have launched their own naval missions in response to the violence, intercepting strikes and escorting ships to secure the area, particularly Bab Al Mandeb, which has become a chokepoint.