The 18 fishermen held in Libya for over six weeks are "in good health", Italy's envoy in Tripoli Giuseppe Buccino said on Thursday, adding that he is "confident" they will be freed "as quickly as possible".
"The fishermen are all in good health," Buccino told the Blue Sea Land maritime expo, which this year is a digital event.
Buccino was referring to the crews of two fishing boats from the Mazara del Vallo fleet in Sicily. The men were detained off Benghazi by eastern Libyan forces on 1 September for allegedly entering Libya's coastal waters and have been held in the port city ever since.
"I remain confident the episode will be resolved. We'll try to achieve this outcome as quickly as possible. All the fishermen and their families have all my solidarity," Buccino added.
The ambassador downplayed the possibility that the fishermen could be put on trial in Libya.
"Currently there no confirmation. We need to wait and to see what happens," Buccino said.
