Georgian sailor detained in Libya released

Georgian sailor Soslan Kakabadze, who spent three years in custody in Libya, has returned to Georgia  due  to the efforts of the Georgian government and the Hungarian Embassy in Libya.

Kakabadze arrived in Georgia on Sunday and met with the representatives of Georgia’s Foreign Ministry and Naval Transport Agency today.

I want to thank the Georgian government and the Hungarian Embassy, which spared no efforts for my release. I had to live in unbearable conditions in several prisons of Libya over the course of these three years,” Kakabadze said.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry representative Vladimir Konstantinidi said that currently Libyan state structures do not function effectively and it was very difficult to achieve the release of the Georgian citizen.

We have used all possible diplomatic and legal levers to release the man,” Konstantinidi said.

Kakabadze, who served as a cook on the ship sailing under the flag of Togo, was detained in August 2015, as the vessel was stopped for illegal shipping of fuel.

Two other Georgian sailors remain in custody in Libya. Their trials are scheduled for May 20.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry says they will use all the levers to return the Georgian citizens to their families.