site.btaMEP Yoncheva Meets with Two Bulgarians Held by Houthis in Yemen

Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Elena Yoncheva on Thursday met with two Bulgarians held by the Houthis in Yemen, her press office reported.

The two, cargo ship Galaxy Leader master Lyubomir Chanev and first mate Danail Veselinov, have been with the Houthis for ten months now. The British-owned, Japanese-operated and Bahamian-flagged ship with a crew of 25 from several countries, including Bulgarian citizens, was hijacked in November 2023.

"After a long trip from the capital Sanaa to the port city of Al Hudaydah, I succeeded in seeing the two Bulgarians. We met outside the ship, in a room chosen by the Houthis on security considerations. We were accompanied by the President's Foreign Policy Adviser Abdullilah Hadjer. He assured us that the arguments and appeals to address the situation which I stressed are being heard, are taken seriously, and an early release is being considered."

"I tried to give hope to Lyubomir and Danail, telling them that even though they have not yet returned to Bulgaria, Bulgaria managed to come to them. Their families asked me to hug them on their behalf. They told me that they were desperate and felt forgotten. This was also evident from their emotional reaction. I assured them that I am doing everything possible to take them home," Yoncheva shared.

"The chance to see them resulted from yesterday's meeting with the Foreign Minister of Yemen's National Salvation Government Jamal Amer and with Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Wahid Abu Ras. I also requested a meeting with the Chairman of the Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat," the MEP said.

"I hope that my visit demonstrates the commitment of the Bulgarian public to the case and to lead to an early release of the Bulgarians. I would like to emphasize once again that this is a humanitarian mission," she added.

Yemen has been in a civil war since the Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa and a large territory in northern Yemen in 2014, while the internationally recognized government settled in Aden, in the south of the country. The Houthis have joined the Gaza conflict in support of the Palestinians and Hamas with attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are linked to Israel.