STRASBOURG, Feb 12: The European Parliament on Thursday demanded that Pakistan immediately release four Greek and three Filipino sailors whose tanker caused a huge oil spill when it sank last year off Karachi.

"The continued detention of these individuals is unacceptable," it said in a statement that also noted that one of the Greeks had tried to commit suicide last month.

"Parliament notes that the causes of the accident are still to be determined but that the ship was under the orders of a local pilot at the time," it said. Pakistan is demanding one billion dollars in compensation for environmental damage cause by the oil spill, the worst in the country's history.

The Greek-run MV Tasman Spirit ran aground in July last year and snapped in two in August, leaking 28,000 tons of crude oil into the Arabian Sea in a rich tropical marine ecosystem. A court freed the crew on bail but barred them from leaving Pakistan until a verdict was reached on the case.

The crew face criminal charges for negligence in navigation and endangering lives. A Greek engineer who arrived after the accident to lead the salvage effort has also been detained.

But the tanker's Greek managers, Polembros Shipping, blame the Karachi Port Trust for the accident and have said they may ask British courts to seize Pakistani assets abroad to force the crew's release. The Greek government has also insisted that Pakistan release the crew. -AFP