Two Russian diplomats met on Thursday with the Russian crew of the cargo ship Mitridat, who have been detained by the Greek authorities on suspicion of smuggling.
Viktor Kolupayev, the head of the consular section of the Russian Embassy in Athens, said all the crew members were being treated well and were in good health.
"A representative of the Russian Transport Ministry, Ivan Chiburun, and I visited the port authority of Aidipsos [on the island of Euboea] and met with the head of the port...and the Coast Guard chief," Kolupayev said. "They confirmed what we already knew, specifically that the entire crew of the Mitridat are Russian citizens."
The boat's captain and the chief engineer are in custody awaiting trial, while the remaining nine crewmembers are confined to the vessel, which is being held in port.
The Togo-flagged ship was traveling from Egypt to Bulgaria when it was detained on Tuesday by Greek coastguards. The cargo ship was reportedly carrying 3.9 million packs of cigarettes.
A spokesman for the Greek prosecutor said the crew had failed to provide customhouse seals proving the legal origin of the cargo.
"Tomorrow the trial will open in the town of Chalcis, which will decide the fate of the boat," Kolupayev said.
He added that the sailors on board the vessel were being treated well by the port authorities. "Having learned that in Russia Christmas is celebrated today, they even provided a couple of boxes of beer on behalf of the mayor," the diplomat said.
Kolupayev said the embassy was keeping the case under constant review, even though the boat's Liberian owners had hired two lawyers to resolve the case.
ATHENS, January 7 (RIA Novosti)
