Kenya sends 62 convicted pirates back to Somalia
Mombassa: Kenya’s government has repatriated 62 Somali pirates who have served their jail sentences.
There are currently 164 pirates still serving in Kenyan prisons, with another 14 set for release and repatriation next week according to Meshack Okiya, deputy chief at Shimo la Tewa Prison. Okie told Xinhua: “The government is working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to facilitate the transfer of pirates who have completed their jail terms in the country.”
The Somali government has been pushing an agreement with Kenya for convicted Somalis to be repatriated to Somalia to serve their remaining prison terms.
Kevin Doherty, president of Nexus Consulting, told Splash: “Kenya held the pirates longer than some Scandinavian countries, who only jailed them for a year or less. Kenya’s pirate court is basically no longer funded.”
With global piracy at sea being at its lowest level for eight years, and a perceived reduction in the piracy threat in the Gulf of Aden, security experts will be watching carefully to see if there is a spike in incidents in the region following the release of these pirates.