The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili received Georgian sailors, who returned from Philippines and their families at the President's Palace.

"Unfortunately you were detained because of some other people's business and found yourselves in such a situation because of somebody's misbehavior, they might have thought that you had no one who would take care of you", stated the President during the meeting. Mikheil Saakashvili got interested in the conditions of the prison in that foreign country and how the Georgian sailors had been treated there.

The sailors expressed their sorrow because of their colleague, another Georgian sailor George Shavishvili, who was supposed to return to Georgia, but the police took him back from the airport and now he is still detained waiting for the court hearing.

Mikheil Saakashvili promised the sailors to do everything to release him from prison and he will not feel alone in this unjust hardship.

"I am sure that we are dealing with some misunderstanding, our diplomats are in Philippines now and will remain there until George Shavishvili is released from prison", Mikheil Saakashvili stated.

The sailors thanked Mikheil Saakashvili for his help.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia