The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Union government while hearing a plea by family members of 16 Indian seafarers who were detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) on December 8. At the time, they were on a vessel in international waters off the Dibba port near Dubai.
“This petition is by the family members of sixteen Indian nationals who have been detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran, for directions to the respondent-Union of India to take steps to provide consular access to the detained persons and to secure timely completion of investigation and their repatriation to India,” Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said in an order on January 15, 2026.
‘No MEA help yet’
The petitioners say the seafarers have not got any legal, financial, or consular aid from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), despite repeated requests over the past month. They added that ten of the seafarers have been taken to Bandar Abbas prison, while eight remain onboard the vessel.
Consulate General of India in Bandar Abbas said that, despite requests, consular access has not been granted by the Iranian authorities.
