Sri Lanka vows to treat Iranian sailors under 'international law'
What's the story
Sri Lanka has announced its decision to treat the Iranian sailors rescued from a torpedoed frigate according to international law. The announcement came after reports that Washington was pressuring Colombo not to repatriate the sailors. According to AFP, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed that Sri Lanka is providing care for 32 sailors of the IRIS Dena, an Iranian frigate sunk by a US submarine off Sri Lanka's southern coast.
Humanitarian response
Sri Lanka has also sent its navy to rescue survivors
Sri Lanka has also sent its Navy to rescue survivors and recover 84 bodies from the torpedoed ship. The country is also providing safe haven to another Iranian warship, with the 219-strong crew of the IRIS Bushehr, which reported engine trouble. The Bushehr was taken to Trincomalee on Sri Lanka's northeast coast after reporting engine problems a day after the Dena was torpedoed.
Indian assistance
India allows another Iranian ship to dock
India has also allowed a third Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, to dock on "humane" grounds after it reported operational problems. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that "I think it was the humane thing to do and I think we were guided by that principle." The Lavan docked in Kochi on March 4, with young cadets among its crew members.
Legal compliance
ICRC in talks with Colombo to deal with ship's crew
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said that Colombo will abide by the Hague Convention, which mandates a neutral state to hold combatants of a warring state until hostilities end. The International Committee of the Red Cross is reportedly in talks with Colombo to deal with survivors from the torpedoed ship. Iranian diplomats have also requested the repatriation of the remains of 84 sailors killed in the US attack.