Hamburg holds first piracy trial in 400 years
Ten Somali men have been accused of piracy-related charges today in Hamburg, Germany, in the first piracy trial held in the country in 400 years.
The men have been accused of hijacking the MS Taipan, a German container ship, some 560 miles off the Somali coast last April.
On that occasion, the crewmen aboard the ship hid in a security room to avoid capture. They were eventually rescued by Dutch naval forces who, after a gunfire confrontation with the pirates, captured the 10 men aboard the German vessel. They seized machine guns, missile launchers and ammunition from the Somalis. None of the 15 crew members was harmed.
The men were kept in Netherlands until June, when they were extradited to Germany for trial.
The alleged pirates entered the courtroom today followed by two attorneys. They face charges of maritime traffic and kidnapping. They are aged between 17 and 48, although the prosecutors could not exactly state the age of three of them.
If the charges are confirmed, they face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, 23 vessels and 500 crewmen are currently held by Somali pirates.
A spokesperson from the Bureau told The Fresh Outlook: “So far, acts of piracy have not been dealt with in a heavy manner. So it's important to carry this trial, and to show a certainty of conviction.
“It would be even better to see pirates being tried in their own land. If this is not possible, neighbouring states could hold the trials. Kenya has been doing it for quite a while now.”
He explains that, because of Somalia's unstable government authority, there is no “internal deterrent” for people who want to carry out acts of piracy.
“Piracy has started increasing in the Horn of Africa since 2008. We have seen pirates shifting [their theatre of operations] from Somalia to the Indian ocean now, where there are bigger areas and less vessels in protection of the ships.”
Commenting on the Hamburg trial, piracy expert Anja Shortland said that it might act as a “prize rather than a deterrent” for pirates.
“Spending three, five, even seven years in a European or American jail followed by political asylum – you can't do much better as a Somali man,” she said.
“That is exactly why pirates need to be tried in their own countries,” said the International Maritime Bureau spokesman. “The trials still act as little deterrent. But it would be much more effective if [it were] done by the Somali land government.”
Cases of piracy off the coasts of Somalia have seen their numbers growing over the last years, enhanced by the instability of the country's political situation.
Somalia has been victim to a civil war since 1991. After the central government was dissolved and the military dictator Siad Barre abandoned the presidency, the country descended into a state of progressive mayhem, pushing the UN to intervene.
The UN operation worked from 1992 to 1995 and was aimed at providing humanitarian aid for the population as well as tackling the spread of famine after the disappearance of a central government.
A state of emergency was called in 2009 and neighbouring countries intervened in an attempt to stabilise the escalating chaos.
The Somali capital, Mogadishu, has fallen into a state of disrepair and lawlessness, and is the theatre of frequent gunfire battles between rival factions and militias.
Today's trial is the first piracy trial held in Hamburg since the beginning of the 17th century. One of Germany's most important ports, Hamburg has a old history of trials against pirates. Convicted buccaneers used to be decapitated by the docks as a warning for others who carried out similar activities.
(Read the full article on The Fresh Outlook)
22.11.2010
The men have been accused of hijacking the MS Taipan, a German container ship, some 560 miles off the Somali coast last April.
On that occasion, the crewmen aboard the ship hid in a security room to avoid capture. They were eventually rescued by Dutch naval forces who, after a gunfire confrontation with the pirates, captured the 10 men aboard the German vessel. They seized machine guns, missile launchers and ammunition from the Somalis. None of the 15 crew members was harmed.
The men were kept in Netherlands until June, when they were extradited to Germany for trial.
The alleged pirates entered the courtroom today followed by two attorneys. They face charges of maritime traffic and kidnapping. They are aged between 17 and 48, although the prosecutors could not exactly state the age of three of them.
If the charges are confirmed, they face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, 23 vessels and 500 crewmen are currently held by Somali pirates.
A spokesperson from the Bureau told The Fresh Outlook: “So far, acts of piracy have not been dealt with in a heavy manner. So it's important to carry this trial, and to show a certainty of conviction.
“It would be even better to see pirates being tried in their own land. If this is not possible, neighbouring states could hold the trials. Kenya has been doing it for quite a while now.”
He explains that, because of Somalia's unstable government authority, there is no “internal deterrent” for people who want to carry out acts of piracy.
“Piracy has started increasing in the Horn of Africa since 2008. We have seen pirates shifting [their theatre of operations] from Somalia to the Indian ocean now, where there are bigger areas and less vessels in protection of the ships.”
Commenting on the Hamburg trial, piracy expert Anja Shortland said that it might act as a “prize rather than a deterrent” for pirates.
“Spending three, five, even seven years in a European or American jail followed by political asylum – you can't do much better as a Somali man,” she said.
“That is exactly why pirates need to be tried in their own countries,” said the International Maritime Bureau spokesman. “The trials still act as little deterrent. But it would be much more effective if [it were] done by the Somali land government.”
Cases of piracy off the coasts of Somalia have seen their numbers growing over the last years, enhanced by the instability of the country's political situation.
Somalia has been victim to a civil war since 1991. After the central government was dissolved and the military dictator Siad Barre abandoned the presidency, the country descended into a state of progressive mayhem, pushing the UN to intervene.
The UN operation worked from 1992 to 1995 and was aimed at providing humanitarian aid for the population as well as tackling the spread of famine after the disappearance of a central government.
A state of emergency was called in 2009 and neighbouring countries intervened in an attempt to stabilise the escalating chaos.
The Somali capital, Mogadishu, has fallen into a state of disrepair and lawlessness, and is the theatre of frequent gunfire battles between rival factions and militias.
Today's trial is the first piracy trial held in Hamburg since the beginning of the 17th century. One of Germany's most important ports, Hamburg has a old history of trials against pirates. Convicted buccaneers used to be decapitated by the docks as a warning for others who carried out similar activities.
(Read the full article on The Fresh Outlook)
22.11.2010