The Bulgarian Social Democratic Party called on the government in its country to give its representative in the European Parliament a mandate to negotiate with the Houthis to release Bulgarian sailors who have been detained by the group for a year.

The party's leader, Delyan Peevski, said yesterday that he calls on all responsible institutions, including Parliament, to grant Member of the European Parliament Elena Yoncheva a mandate to negotiate the release of the captured Bulgarian sailors from the Galaxy Leader ship, according to the Yemen Monitor website.

He added, "The captain, his deputy Ljubomir Chaniov, and Danil Veselinov have been held captive by the Houthis in Yemen for nearly a year, and it is the duty of all statesmen to do everything necessary to help Bulgarian citizens facing problems abroad."

Elena Poncheva visited the Houthis in Sanaa in September, met with Bulgarian sailors, and held a discussion session with Houthi leaders.

The politician "Pevsky" said that Elena Yoncheva proved during her visit and meeting with the captured Bulgarian sailors that it is possible to find a way to negotiate their release, and according to him, she must now obtain authorization for negotiations and all logistical support from the state so that the Bulgarians can return to their country. Their homes.

In November 2024, the Houthis hijacked the Galaxy Leader ship in one of the most serious maritime security incidents in the Bab al-Mandab Strait in decades, with 25 crew members on board from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Mexico.