CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday wrote to the Union Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, requesting to take immediate diplomatic initiatives to ensure consular access and legal assistance to secure the early release of the arrested Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Bahrain Coast Guard.

In a letter, Stalin said, "It has come to my attention that 28 fishermen from Idinthakarai fishing village, Tirunelveli district, who were engaged in fishing labour in Iran, were apprehended by the Bahrain Coast Guard on September 11 for inadvertently crossing the border. The boats belong to Iranian nationals."

The families of the fishermen, who are highly dependent on their income, have been severely impacted by the arrest, he noted.

He also urged the EAM to take immediate diplomatic initiatives to ensure consular access and legal assistance to secure the early release of the arrested fishermen.