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G8 leaders to develop legal system for trying suspected pirates

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Officials from the G8 countries on Saturday agreed to work toward establishing a system for trying pirates captured in African waters. The recent increase in pirate activity has created problems for where to try captured pirates. If the pirates are tried in Europe, they may be able to bring successful asylum claims, and in Africa, poor governance and corruption place great obstacles in trying the pirates. The G8 ministers recognized the importance of aiding the region to fight drug trafficking cartels and improve their own judicial systems to effectively process and try captured pirates. The proposal will be presented at the upcoming G8 summit in L'Aquila in July. Kenyan authorities have brought charges against 18 Somali nationals who were captured by German and French forces over the past two months as a result of an agreement reached by the EU and the Kenyan government. There is a similar agreement between the US and Kenya, through which other Somali nationals have been captured and turned over to Kenyan authorities. Earlier this month, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime obtained Kenyan support to launch a new plan to combat piracy by policing Horn of Africa waters.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 31, 2009 (boomark / email).