Seamen of Georgian ship detained in Libya claim lack of foodstuffs

The crew of the ship "Vasilios N", sailing under the flag of Georgia, asks for help because of detention of the seamen for several months in Misurata Port in Libya. According to sailors, they have nothing to eat and are on the brink of committing suicide.

Eight months ago the "Vasilios N" loaded with building material left a Turkish port sailing to Libya, but got into the territorial waters of Greece, where there was a storm, as a result of which about 18 percent of the cargo was spoilt.

The owner refused to accept the goods; and litigation started between the owners of the vessel and the cargo, which continues until now.

As reported by Georgiy Kurashvili, one of the sailors of the detained ship, the situation of the crew is intolerable. The sailors demand the case to be qualified as "trafficking" and threaten to commit suicide. According to Kurashvili, only the help of sailors from occasional Russian and Ukrainian ships saves them from complete starvation; sometimes they catch fish by using a self-made rod, the "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.

The seamen have contracts with one of Italian companies; however, none of the employers have contacted them yet, the "Georgia Online" writes. The sailors and their families sought help of the Georgian government and international organizations; however, as they report, so far, only the Georgian Consulate in Italy has got interested in their problem.

Five members of the crew of the "Vasilios N", including the captain, are Georgians. Supposedly, there are also Ukrainians and Azerbaijanis among the crew members, the "Georgia Today" writes.