National
Somali pirates held by Spain could be tried in 2 weeks
By m.p. - Nov 16, 2009 - 12:14 PM
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The Alakrana - EFE archive
They can be legally deported after trial with the removal of the charge of illicit association
The two pirates held in Spain after the hijacking in the Indian Ocean of the Basque tuna trawler, the Alakrana’, at the beginning of last month could be tried before the end of November. Judge Santiago Pedraz at the National Court ordered this Monday, at the request of the prosecutor, that the two be prosecuted on 36 counts of illegal detention and one of violent robbery committed with weapons.
He has however withdrawn the charge of illicit association, which means, as RNE Spanish national television reports, that their sentence, if found guilty, could be lower than six years. They could then be deported from Spain under the Ley de Extranjería Foreigners’ Law.
Europa Press reports their trial could take place during the last week of November.
A group of 54 Spanish security guards arrived in the Seychelles last Friday to be transferred on board the Spanish trawlers which fish in the Indian Ocean to provide greater protection from pirate attacks. They have been undergoing intensive training ahead of their transfer and are armed with military-style weapons.
The Alakrana’s 36 crew meanwhile remain captive on the trawler as negotiations continue to secure their release.