Somalia: Puntland releases suspected pirates

July 17, 2009   ·   Comments (0)

By: Mohamed Osman
Horseed Media

This week four suspected Somali pirates were released from Bosaso jail, while a journalist was beaten up by guards for taking pictures in the court room.

On Wednesday the trail of four suspected pirates convened in the coastal town of Bosaso.

In Bosaso jail more than 60 suspected pirates are still awaiting their day in court.

These suspected pirates were captured by the NATO forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden and then handed over to the Puntland administration (Northeastern Somalia). So far half of the suspected pirates are sentenced to jail terms.

Assault in a court room

Journalists and other guests were invited by the Puntland government to attend the hearing, on Wednesday.

Though before the hearing could start the court room turned chaotic, when several guards in the court room attacked a journalists working for Horseed Media.

The journalist took some pictures of the government’s prosecutor Ahmed Taaran, as he was talking  to the relatives of the defendants.

The Journalist, Aweys Haji Nur sustained minor injuries after the Prosecutor’s private bodyguards beat him up in the court room.

The guards who attacked the journalist started their assault when the prosecutor Ahmed Taaran asked not to be photographed while he dealt with the relatives of the defendants in the court room.

According to Aweys, the guards were against the pictures that he took of the Prosecutor Mr.Ahmed engaged in a long conversation with the relatives of the defendants just before the hearing started.

“….they continued to beat me up, with Ak 47 rifles even after I showed them, that I have deleted the pictures…..” says Aweys who was upset that none of the Puntland officials including the judge did not intervened, the assault in the court room.

In Puntland the media is allowed to cover and broadcast in the court room, during the hearing and sentencing. Most of the times the Puntland administration invites the journalists to cover the trails of suspected pirates.

“…the behaviour of the prosecutor was strange ordering the attack in the court room, even without the consent of the judge..…but he did got away with it….” says Abdirashid Ali who attended the hearing.

The release of suspects

On Thursday, the four suspected pirates were released from Bosaso jail, no further information were given to the media.

“… I believe the release of these men might be linked with the prosecutor Ahmed Taaran, who didn’t wanted to be seen mingling with some of the relatives of the pirates….Many people in Bosaso will tell you it is not the first time that the prosecutor releases people with out a proper trail…..” Says Mr.Ali.

When Horseed Media tried to contact the Judge Mohamed Aware who presided the case, he was not available to take the call.

One court, One Judge and One prosecutor

Puntland administration currently has only one court that it uses to trail suspected pirates, which is Bosaso district court.

Puntland’s Minister of Justice Abdirisak Gesod told Horseed Media in an interview, that they use Bosaso court for such trails because of security reasons.

The court has one permanent judge Mohamed Abdi Aware and one single prosecutor Ahmed Taaran. Many people question whether such a court can handle both civil and criminal cases in the biggest city of Puntland region.

No international backing to combat piracy

Abdurahman Farole, Puntland President who is currently visiting London, blamed the international community for not supporting his administration financially with their plans to combat piracy.

In an interview with the BBC Somali service President Farole, said that his administration successfully prosecuted and sentenced some Somali pirates without any help from the international community.

The pirates den ‘Eyl’

President Farole, who’s birth town of Eyl is named the pirates den of Somalia, said he was using the help of religious and clan elders to convince those pirates in Eyl to stop their piracy activities. He says this approach is working.

Still Somali pirates continue to attack vessels off the coast of Somalia.

On the latest hijacking, Somali pirates successfully hijacked a small boat from India, just miles off the coast of Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland.

The pirates forced the boat towards Bab el Mandeb, north of Somalia, and tried to hijack MVA Elephant, a Liberian tanker on Monday.

The small boat was later freed on Wednesday after a joint operation by the Indian and French navies.

Horseed Media