15 Georgian Sailors Request Help

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

The fate of fifteen Georgian and three Turkish sailors has been uncertain for more than a year. The fact that they are alive is confirmed by two photos disseminated by Somali pirates on October 30th. Both photos are taken in the platform of the captured tanker Olib G and it shows armed and masked pirates.

Temur Bedinadze, Davit Devadze, Memed Zakaradze, Shalva Verdzadze, Temur Makharadze, Zurab Shervashidze, Giorgi Siradze, Jaba Karchava, Jimsher Asanidze, Aslan Demuradze, Anzor Partenadze, Irakli Jikidze, Nukri Jijavadze, Temur Varshanidze, Genadi Timofeev – this is the list of those Georgian sailors who have been held captive by Somali pirates for 450 days. The vessel under the Malta flag Olib G was captured by Somali pirates on September 7th of 2010 in Bay of Aden.

Human Rights Center contacted family members of several detainees. The relatives state that they were prohibited to talk with the journalists on this issue. Some state that the foreign lawyers of the sailors also prohibited them to talk with media not to irritate the pirates.

The spouse of Naira Khalvashi Temur Bedinadze has been a chief mechanic for 35 years. Last time he contacted his wife was 8 months ago. Bedinadze asked for help in telephone conversation.

Naira Khalvashi states that the relatives of the detained sailors met with the representatives of Adjara government a week ago but they have not reported any news: “We meet with only the head of Adjara government representative of Levan Varshalomidze Zurab Beridze. Varshalomidze himself does not meet us – he either has some business or some guests. Government might be doing something in secret to save them, but there is no result so far. I think the Georgian government can pay this money but I do not know why they are not paying it. I ask for help and please ask the President the same question: why the government is not paying money to save lives of these people when millions are spent on the concerts and monuments? I would rather hear Temur’s voice than see thousand of his photos. My request is that he calls me once. When my spouse called me he would tell me: do not stop, constantly apply to government to somehow free me from here.”

The sailors have been captive by Somali pirates for a year and three months now. The family members and relatives of 15 detained sailors held a protest action in front of Adjara government several times with the request to help to free the detainees. Usually, nobody comes out of the residence of head of Adjara government.

The journalist of TV25 Natia Rokva asked the President of Georgia in a live telebridge what the Georgian government was doing to save the sailors. The President abstained to answer this question publicly.

The money transferred to the account opened for the captured sailors in Georgian bank amounts to 50 000 GEL. As the head of the Trade Union of Sailors Anatoli Jijavadze states this money will be used for the rehabilitation of sailors: “The money collected to save lives of sailors is still on the account and by the decision of majority it will used for the rehabilitation of sailors. As for the detainees, I do not have information on them since the lawyers do not provide me any.”

According to unofficial information, the request of Somali pirates is gradually increasing. At first they were requesting one million dollars. Now their request has increased to 9 million dollars.