Somali pirate suspects to be extradited to Germany

Friday 04 June 2010

Ten suspected Somali pirates can be extradited to Germany to face charges in connection with hijacking a German container ship, a Dutch court ruled on Friday.

The 10, including one teenager, were arrested by Dutch marines as they freed the German ship Taipan in April.

Amsterdam court rejected lawyers' arguments that the Somalis should be tried in the Netherlands. There is no reason at all why they should not be sent to Germany, the judges said.

The teenager is thought to be aged 15 and will be tried in a juvenile court, news agency ANP said.

Five other suspected Somali pirates are currently on trial in Rotterdam charged with taking over a Dutch merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden 18 months ago. They face seven years in jail.

© DutchNews.nl

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