People watch waves hit the Arabian Sea coast during high tide in Mumbai, India, July 24, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)
TEHERAN – Two Iranian fishermen imprisoned in the Indian city of Mumbai were released and returned to their home country on Wednesday, state-run IRIB news agency reported.
The Iranian nationals had “unintentionally” entered India’s territorial waters after their vessel suffered an engine failure. They were subsequently arrested on charges of illegal entry. After going through lengthy trial proceedings, they were acquitted of all charges and released, the report said.
Hassan Mohsenifard, Iran’s consul general in Mumbai, was quoted as saying that the fishermen had been held in detention for 19 months, during which they were forced to do hard labor.
Mohsenifard noted that their release came following follow-ups by the Iranian consulate and cooperation from the Indian judiciary. However, their vessel remains impounded. He added that Iran has sent an official note to the Indian government, calling for compensation for the losses and the release of the vessel.