Bulgarian police forced the crew of the Libyan state-owned General National Maritime Transport Company’s (GNMTC) vessel “Badr” to evacuate it and cut off their communication with Libya, the Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said on Saturday.
The incident happened on Friday at the Bulgarian port of Burgas.
In November 2017, a Bulgarian court has delivered a final verdict for the GNMTC allowing the vessel Badr to return to libya, however the Bulgarian police kept the ship in its custody.
In a joint statement by the GNMTC and the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority, they said that Badr was seized and Bulgarian coast guard authorities did not allow the ship to sail to Libya.
The statement confirmed that the Bulgarian authorities refused to implement the decision of the court, violated the international laws, and replaced the Libyan vessel’s crew .
The Ports Authority said they are in contact with local and international organizations and authorities to stop the “assault” on Badr.
