National
Spain's PM: Our sailors are free and are coming home
By m.p. - Nov 17, 2009 - 2:56 PM
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The Alakrana - EFE archive
It's been confirmed that the Alakrana and its 36 crew have been released after 47 days in captivity
It’s been confirmed that the crew of the Alakrana have been released by their captors and are coming home after 47 days of being held hostage by pirates.
It was the Prime Minister himself, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who officially announced the news at a press conference in Madrid at lunchtime on Tuesday. He said the Basque tuna trawler was sailing towards safer waters after its release and all the 36 crew, 16 of them Spanish, were safe and sound.
Zapatero declined to give any details of the ransom which has been paid, but one of the pirates said earlier on Tuesday that 4 million dollars – the equivalent of 2.3 million € - had been paid.
The Prime Minister said the ship’s release is due to the cooperation and efforts of many people, and particularly passed on his thanks to the families of the Alakrana’s crew for ‘faithfully’ doing what he had asked them to do, despite their suffering. He also had some words of thanks for the opposition leader, Mariano Rajoy, for his support.
It’s understood the Alakrana is will make for the Seychelles and, according to El País, will take around two days to reach port in the islands.