(CNN) -- Three Finnish men, detained over the weekend by Tehran for allegedly straying into Irainian waters during a fishing trip in the Persian Gulf, have been released, a Finland foreign ministry official says.
The three men were released unharmed and have contacted their families, according to Pasi Tuominen, deputy director of Finland's Foreign Ministry.
They are expected to return Thursday morning to the United Arab Emirates, where they work for Nokia Siemens in Dubai, Tuominen said.
The men were fishing Saturday near Abu Musa -- an island under disputed ownership by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates -- when they were seized by Iranian authorities, Finnish News Agency STT reported They were traveling without a guide.
"They (the men) have contacted us and said they will return to Dubai shortly," Nokia Siemens spokesman Barry French told the Associated Press.
"We certainly appreciate the support of the government of Finland in reaching out to the Iranian counterparts." He gave no other details.
The arrests came less than three months after Iranian forces seized a group of 15 British sailors and marines who were on an anti-smuggling patrol near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, on the border between Iraq and Iran.
Iran released the service members unharmed after holding them captive for almost two weeks.
CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.
The three men were released unharmed and have contacted their families, according to Pasi Tuominen, deputy director of Finland's Foreign Ministry.
They are expected to return Thursday morning to the United Arab Emirates, where they work for Nokia Siemens in Dubai, Tuominen said.
The men were fishing Saturday near Abu Musa -- an island under disputed ownership by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates -- when they were seized by Iranian authorities, Finnish News Agency STT reported They were traveling without a guide.
"They (the men) have contacted us and said they will return to Dubai shortly," Nokia Siemens spokesman Barry French told the Associated Press.
"We certainly appreciate the support of the government of Finland in reaching out to the Iranian counterparts." He gave no other details.
The arrests came less than three months after Iranian forces seized a group of 15 British sailors and marines who were on an anti-smuggling patrol near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, on the border between Iraq and Iran.
Iran released the service members unharmed after holding them captive for almost two weeks.
CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment