- Title: GERMANY: German lawyers of suspected Somali pirates praise German justice system
- Date: 23rd November 2010
- Summary: HAMBURG, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 22, 2010) (REUTERS) REPORTERS STANDING IN COURT BUILDING'S HALLWAY OLIVER WALLASCH, A LAWYER FOR ONE OF THE ACCUSED SOMALIS, BEING INTERVIEWED WALLASCH ON PHONE DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (German) LAWYER FOR ONE OF THE ACCUSED SOMALIS, OLIVER WALLASCH, SAYING "We always demanded that there not be an outsourcing of the trial to Kenya because a constitutional trial for sure would not be possible there. In the meantime, Kenya froze its cooperation with the European Union and maybe they even suspended it. That is the consequence of the Kenyan authorities being overwhelmed to deal with such a situation." HIGH SHOT OF WALLASCH BEING INTERVIEWED MAN WALKING PAST THOMAS JUNG, LAWYER FOR 14-YEAR-OLD SUSPECTED SOMALI PIRATE BEING INTERVIEWED CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) LAWYER FOR 14-YEAR-OLD SUSPECTED SOMALI PIRATE, THOMAS JUNG, SAYING "It is absolutely terrible for him. He broke down in tears during every phase of the trial because he visibly could not deal with the situation. Today, all of a sudden he suffered from an obscure fear. He always misses his mother very much which I would see as typical for a child. That's how he is doing." JUNG BEING INTERVIEWED
- Embargoed: 8th December 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany, Germany
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA7L3PAD4RRIQIPJ6I6SLLU786O
- Story Text: A constitutional trial for ten Somalis standing trial in Germany accused of piracy would not have been possible in Kenya, the German lawyer for one of the men said in Hamburg on Monday (November 22).
"We always demanded that there not be an outsourcing of the trial to Kenya because a constitutional trial for sure would not be possible there," said lawyer Oliver Wallasch who represented one of the adult accused.
Wallasch said "Kenya froze its cooperation with the European Union and maybe they even suspended it. That is the consequence of Kenyan authorities being overwhelmed to deal with such a situation."
The suspects are accused of boarding the German-flagged MV Taipan at gunpoint in April with the aim of demanding a ransom.
According to the state prosecution, the accused include seven adults and three young people who, once their exact age has been determined, could be tried under juvenile law and face lesser prison sentences of 10 years if convicted. The adults face 15-year sentences.
Thomas Jung, a lawyer who said his client was 14 years old, told reporters "it is absolutely terrible for him."
"He broke down in tears during every phase of the trial because he visibly could not deal with the situation. Today, all of a sudden he suffered from an obscure fear. He always misses his mother very much which I would see as typical for a child."
The defence argued that the poverty and hardship faced by people in Somalia had to be taken into account in the trial.
The pirates were captured by Dutch commandos on April 5 after a brief battle to free the MV Taipan off the Somali coast. They were taken to the Netherlands then extradited to Germany. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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