Where is Avtandil Kalandadze where detained

Checked on January 26, 2026
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Executive summary

The captain of the seized tanker, Avtandil Kalandadze, is being held in UK custody following the vessel’s interception, and his wife has launched a petition for judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh challenging the lawfulness of that detention [1]. Reporting to date situates the legal action in Scotland and confirms the vessel—formerly known as Bella 1—was in UK waters, but public articles consulted do not specify the precise physical location or detention facility where Kalandadze is being held [1] [2].

1. What the public reporting establishes about detention

Multiple regional publications republished the same press reporting that lawyers for Natia Dzadzama, the wife of the vessel’s captain Avtandil Kalandadze, lodged a petition at the Court of Session in Edinburgh seeking judicial review of what they describe as the “unlawful” detention of Captain Kalandadze, making clear the procedural locus of the challenge is in Scotland’s highest civil court [1]. Those articles uniformly note the vessel previously named Bella 1 was in UK waters when it was seized, which underpins why UK authorities have custody and why Scottish courts are now being asked to scrutinise detention lawfulness [1].

2. What the reporting does not disclose — a key limitation

None of the republished pieces reviewed specify the exact place of detention—no police station, immigration centre, prison, or port authority facility is named—so it cannot be asserted from these sources where, physically, Kalandadze is being held [1] [3]. The reporting centers on legal manoeuvres and the wife’s solicitor, Aamer Anwar, rather than operational details from law enforcement or maritime agencies about custody arrangements, so there is a gap in publicly reported facts about the detention location [1].

3. Who is driving the narrative and why it matters

The primary voice in the available coverage is Kalandadze’s legal team and family, represented publicly by solicitor Aamer Anwar, and the articles reiterate their framing that the detention is potentially unlawful and deserves judicial scrutiny [1]. That perspective naturally pushes for a legal remedy; absent statements from the detaining authority in these pieces, readers should be aware the coverage reflects an advocacy and litigation strategy that aims to secure release or legal clarification rather than provide a neutral operational account [1].

4. How to interpret the Scottish court filing

Filing for a judicial review in the Court of Session indicates the challenge is against a decision or action of a public body—here, the detention of the ship’s captain—and seeks the court’s examination of legality and procedure [1]. The choice of Scotland’s senior civil court suggests the legal team believes Scottish jurisdiction or UK law applicable in Scotland governs the detention; the filings themselves, which are referenced in the coverage, are the proper vehicle for compelling disclosure from authorities about why and where Kalandadze is held [1].

5. Alternative viewpoints and missing official statements

Absent from the republished reporting are statements from the UK government, maritime enforcement agencies, or prosecuting authorities explaining the grounds for detention or confirming the custody location; those actors may have operational reasons—investigation integrity, security, or legal process—for limited public comment, but their absence leaves a unilateral public narrative [1]. Until the detaining authority or court filings are made public or reported with specifics, the only confirmed public facts are the challenge in Edinburgh and the ship’s presence in UK waters at seizure [1].

6. What to watch next for a definitive answer

The most direct route to a definitive, sourced answer on where Avtandil Kalandadze is detained will be court documents from the petition for judicial review or official statements from the agency that took custody; subsequent reporting that quotes those documents or authorities should be cited to confirm the detention facility or location. Current coverage repeatedly cites the filing in the Court of Session and the legal representation but does not identify the physical detention site, so readers should treat the detention location as unreported in these sources and await direct confirmation [1].

Want to dive deeper?
What has the Court of Session petition filed by Aamer Anwar in the case of Avtandil Kalandadze stated?
Which UK agencies were involved in the seizure of the vessel formerly known as Bella 1 and what have they said publicly?
What legal standards govern detention of foreign-flagged ship captains in UK waters and previous judicial review outcomes?