25 March 2011, 20:00
A Georgian sailor released from the pirates' prison
A MV HANNIBAL II tanker among whose crew there was one citizen of Georgia captured by Somali pirates has been released.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the pirates captured a MV HANNIBAL II tanker transporting vegetable oils from the Malaysian town of Pasir-Gudang to Egyptian town of Suez on November, 11, last year, in the Indian Ocean.
The tanker was released from the pirates' prison on March, 17. All the 31 members of the crew, among them Oleg Nodia, native of Batumi, aged 41, are currently safe and feeling all right, Press service of the Naval forces of the EU in Somali reported.
The details of the vessel's release have not been made public. According to unofficial information, the release took place as a result of negotiations between Tunisian Government and Somali pirates after which a ransom to a sum of two million dollars was paid, "Novosti-Georgia" reports.
Officials in Tbilisi state that they have no information of the Georgian citizen's release yet.
16 Georgian citizens are still staying in Somali pirates' prison. A cargo vessel MV OLIB G sailing under the flag of Malta loaded with scrap metal was captured on September, 8, last year. There were 15 Georgian and 3 Turkish citizens on board. One more citizen of Georgia, Giorgi Chkadua, was captured on February, 9, near the shore of Oman together with 7 citizens of Greece and 17 citizens of the Philippines on board a Greek tanker Irene SL.
