The four men, employees of a British maritime security firm, disappeared on 24 December after their ship was intercepted trying to leave the Red Sea nation, having made an unscheduled stop at the port of Massawa.
The men — who were providing antipiracy protection to merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden — have been held for nearly six months without consular access and have had no contact with their families or their employer, Protection Vessels International (PVI).
In a televised statement, the Eritrean authorities stated that the men were in possession of a range of weapons and communications devices — including “18 different types of snipers” and “1,700 bullets” — adding that “there is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage”.
PVI has confirmed that equipment belonging to the men — two of whom are former Royal Marines — included weapons, but said that the equipment the men were carrying was “standard issue for antipiracy operations”.
It added that the group — three of whom are named as Adrian Troy, Christopher Collison and Alun Sims — were forced to make an unscheduled stop due to rough weather and for equipment repair and refuelling.
Some of their equipment was offloaded on an uninhabited island before docking in Massawa, with the intention of “de-escalating a situation which could have appeared threatening.”
The security firm, with offices in Bedfordshire and Devon, yesterday offered an unreserved apology in an attempt to secure their release, having already acknowledged that its personnel had mishandled the situation.
“This is a gross misunderstanding and we regret the situation that we find ourselves in,“ Paul Gibbins, spokesperson for PVI, told The Daily Telegraph.
“We will continue to work very hard for the men’s release and we welcome any dialogue with the Eritrean authorities.” The incident has accelerated a deepening diplomatic rift between Britain and Eritrea.
In this week’s statement, Eritrea pointed a finger at the British government, noting that it would be held accountable for “issuing a permit that was used as a cover for the criminals who committed acts of invasion and espionage”.
But British authorities say that they have simply been trying to give the men consular access, which has been repeatedly denied by officials in Eritrea’s capital Asmara.
A FCO spokesperson said: “We strongly reject any claim that the British government was in any way linked to, or responsible for, any of the activities of the four men.”
Last month, the Foreign Office announced that it had prohibited Eritrean diplomats from travelling outside London without written permission, after the Henry Bellingham, Minister for Africa, promised “robust action” if Asmara’s silence continued.
The small Horn of African nation has faced international criticism in recent years for its rising authoritarianism and alleged support for radical Islamists in nearby Somalia.
The United Nations imposed sanctions on Eritrea in late 2009 over its role in arming, training and equipping Somalia’s armed groups. The former Italian colony, which was occupied by Britain during the Second World War, has repeatedly denied the allegation.
The men made an unscheduled stop at Massawa port ( World66.com)
The government of Eritrea has accused four British men who were detained last December of espionage and terrorism. The men were working for Protection Vessels International (PVI), a maritime security company, when they disappeared on December 24, 2010. According to the company, the group was forced to make an unscheduled stop at the port of  due to rough weather, refuelling and equipment repairs.

A statement made on television by the Eritrean authorities said that the men had a variety of weapons, including 18 sniper rifles and "1,700 bullets." The statement also claimed that "there is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage." PVI hit back at the claims, saying that the weapons were "standard issue for antipiracy operations."

Paul Gibbins, a spokesman for PVI, spoke to the British newspaper '''', saying "this is a gross misunderstanding and we regret the situation that we find ourselves in. We will continue to work very hard for the men’s release and we welcome any dialogue with the Eritrean authorities."

Two of the four men being held are former . Three of the men have been named as Adrian Troy, Christopher Collison, and Alun Sims.