The messenger logo

The News in Brief

Monday, March 9
By Messenger Staff



Four Georgian sailors kidnapped by pirates have been released

According to the Maritime Transport Agency, on February 20, four Georgian sailors captured by pirates off the Nigerian coast are free and they will return to Georgia within days.

“The Georgian Maritime Transport Agency, along with the Foreign Ministry, has been involved in the process since the abduction of seafarers. Due to the confidentiality of the matter and the interests of the seafarers' personal safety, we refrain from disclosing details, but note that all parties acted in a coordinated and highly professional manner, which yielded results in a very short time."

According to the agency, the shipowning company contributed greatly to the release of the sailors.

On the night of February 20, gunmen attacked a tanker, owned by a Greek company, carrying a Liberian flag near the port city of Lagos, Nigeria, abducting 10 sailors. In addition to 4 Georgians, Ukrainians and Filipinos were in captivity. The tanker was carrying cargo from the Netherlands to Nigeria.



Georgian Citizen kidnapped and released from Tskhinvali prison beaten

Eldar Gundishvili, a resident of the village of Adzvi in the Gori municipality, who was released from the Tskhinvali prison, was beaten. Gundishvili's wife to the anti-occupation movement provided the information and requested the assistance of doctors.

Gundishvili's injuries were studied by doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili who was also kidnapped and illegally detained and released by the occupational regime recently.