The wife of the Ukrainian sea captain held in Greek prison is calling on Greek authorities to release him and the crew of the Maltese flagged container vessel, Mekong Spirit.

The captain has spent six weeks in Athens prison, while his 16 crew have been detained aboard the vessel at Souda Bay Naval Base, Crete.

Captain Sergii Nevecheria (61), from Ukraine was detained on 23 May by Greek authorities whilst transiting Greek waters en route to the Suez Canel. Soon after a port call at Izmir, Turkey, the ship under his command 12,380dwt Mekong Spirit, was seized by the Hellenic Coastguard who escorted the vessel to Souda Bay Naval Base, Crete.

Greek authorities allege that Nevecheria failed to inform them of the IMO controlled cargo on board and allege that the cargo of mining explosives and hunting/sport rifle cartridges destined for Port Sudan were in violation of UN and EU sanctions.

"All cargo destined for Port Sudan was part of a legitimate commercial transaction between companies operating in Turkey and Sudan and none of these companies are restricted by any sanctions," a press statement by Lumar SA, a ship management company, read. Lumar said they have submitted corporate documents, end user certificates and import licenses to the courts for both the shipper in Turkey and the receiver in Sudan.