KENYA: Italian navy hands over nine suspected pirates to Kenya

Record ID: 361265

  • Title: KENYA: Italian navy hands over nine suspected pirates to Kenya
  • Date: 26th June 2009
  • Summary: MOMBASA, KENYA (JUNE 25, 2009) (REUTERS) KENYA POLICE ON GUARD AT A BARRIER LEADING TO ITALIAN NAVY SHIP ITALY FRIGATE DOCKING ITALIAN FLAG A MARINE ON GUARD ABOARD SHIP KENYA POLICE OFFICER VIEWING THE FRIGATE NAME OF SHIP "MAESTRALE" MARINE OFFICER SMOKING FROM A DECK MARINES ON GUARD ITALIAN MARINES TALKING TO A KENYAN SECURITY OFFICER A MARINE OFFICE ON GUARD
  • Embargoed: 11th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA73KP3H22O3OPVM3NZFC72MFL2
  • Story Text: Kenyan authorities receive nine more suspected pirates from the Italian navy.
    The Italian navy handed over nine suspected Somali pirates to Kenya on Thursday (June 25), taking the number of such captives in prisons along the east African country's coast to more than 100.
    Kenyan police say the influx of suspected Somali pirates is clogging jails and congesting local courts and they would like foreign navies patrolling the shipping lanes off Somalia to start taking captives to other countries.
    Police have said some of the suspected pirates could be transferred to Nairobi to ease the pressure on Mombasa's jails.
    The last group of pirates handed over to Kenyan authorities was taken to a court in Malindi, further up the coast from Mombasa towards Somalia as the courts in Mombasa are not able to handle all cases taken before them.
    International navies trying to curb piracy off lawless Somalia are often reluctant to bring suspects to their own countries because they either lack the jurisdiction, or fear the pirates may seek asylum.
    The European Union, United States and some other countries have instead struck agreements with Kenya to leave suspects to face trial in east Africa's biggest economy. Some pirates are being prosecuted in France and the Netherlands.
    They are holding about 20 ships with nearly 300 hostages, according to regional piracy monitoring groups and the London-based International Maritime Bureau.
    More than 10 pirates are serving a seven-year jail term at a prison in Voi near Mombasa, Kenya.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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