First piracy trial in 400 years to be held in Germany

GERMAN authorities have decided to prosecute 10 alleged Somali pirates despite warnings that the trial will not deter further incidents.

In the first piracy trial in 400 years, the accused Somalis, between 17 and 48 years of age are charged with an attempt to hijack the 925-TEU German containership Taipan in April, reported London's International Freighting Weekly.

The crew of the vessel retreated to a safe room when the pirates boarded the vessel. However, the Dutch navy exchanged gunfire with the pirates and boarded the ship some 900 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.

The suspects were flown to the Netherlands from Djibouti after Germany issued European arrest warrants. A Dutch court then ordered them to be extradited to Germany.

According to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre, 23 vessels and 500 crew members are currently held by Somali pirates who are receiving millions of dollars in ransoms.

In August, a US federal judge dismissed piracy charges against six Somalis arrested after an unsuccessful attack on a US Navy dock landing ship, the USS Ashland, in April. The judge ruled the men's actions did not meet the legal definition of piracy.

Meanwhile, the trial of five Somali men accused of attacking an American frigate, the USS Nicholas, in April, continues in Virginia.

Following the rise of Somali piracy, Kenya signed a deal with western states including the EU, US, UK, Canada, China and Denmark, to try suspected pirates in its courts. It became the lead prosecutor of suspected pirates, and sentenced a number of pirates to prison.

Kenya has acquitted 26 accused pirates and said handling the cases had become too great a burden. The country wants to review the deal, some saying western countries had failed to provide sufficient financial support to support the effort.
(Source:www.schednet.com)