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| Africa Horn |
| Russkies Release Some Pirates; Cite Flaw in the Law |
| 2010-05-08 |
| More at the link The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Friday that some Somali pirates detained one day earlier for hijacking a Russian-owned oil tanker have been released, local media reported. Defense Ministry spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov said the release was "due to imperfections in international law." |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #9 There are legal barriers to prosecuting individuals captured in international waters. Countries are struggling to apply existing maritime law, international law, and their own laws, which limits them to having jurisdiction over their own citizens. According to piracy experts, the goal is to "deter and disrupt" pirate activity, and pirates are often detained, interrogated, disarmed, and released. With millions of dollars at stake, pirates have little incentive to stop. Prosecutions are rare for several reasons. Modern laws against piracy are almost non-existent. For example, the Dutch are using a 17th-century law against "sea robbery" to prosecute. Warships that capture pirates have no jurisdiction to try them, and NATO does not have a detention policy in place. Prosecutors have a hard time assembling witnesses and finding translators, and countries are reluctant to imprison pirates because they would be saddled with them upon their release.[87] And this ignores Human Rights and refugee 'laws' that allow a lawyer to turn any pirate into a victim in need of protection and hence eligible for asylum, welfare benefits, family migration, etc. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2010-05-08 21:33 |
| #8 With calm seas and fair winds, paddling steadily and making 4-5 miles per day.... they could reach landfall sometime around the 4th of July. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-05-08 20:01 |
| #7 I'm sure they had a Garmin GPS they could use to paddle with. Sounds good to me |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-05-08 19:57 |
| #6 Actually, what the Russians did is worse than a trial : they put the Somalis in a rubber boat WITHOUT navigation aids, 200 miles offshore. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2010-05-08 19:39 |
| #5 Push 'em out of a transport at 30,000 feet aimed for the village and then hang em. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2010-05-08 14:26 |
| #4 Et tu Ivan? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-05-08 13:59 |
| #3 Ruskies give a rat's ass about "imperfections in international law"? I am truly disappointed. |
| Posted by: Glilet Platypus9952 2010-05-08 12:44 |
| #2 "put them back to sea in a rubber raft." With one oar. 200nm from shore. And gave the Russian crew of the hijacked boat a .22 and a bucket of chum. And know you know the REST of the story -- Pavel Harvey-ski |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2010-05-08 10:52 |
| #1 Ten pirates were detained and |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2010-05-08 10:27 |