MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti) - Pirates seized...
"In accordance with existing law, pirates seized by Russian naval forces during patrols will be transferred to a third party," Col. Gen. Alexander Kolmakov said, without specifying which country might accept the pirates.
Twenty-nine suspected pirates were taken on board a Russian warship last month after carrying out an unsuccessful hijack attempt on a Liberian-flagged and Russian-crewed tanker.
Russia has found it difficult to find a country willing to take the detainees, and a deputy to the prosecutor general said last Tuesday that Somali pirates could be prosecuted under Russian laws.
Alexander Zvyagintsev said that since Somalia did not have an effective government "it is senseless" to hand pirates over to Somali authorities.
He said that pirates operating off Somalia were holding 17 ships and about 300 hostages.
Zvyagintsev added that pirates received $120-150 million in ransom in 2008, which enabled them to buy more sophisticated facilities
Pages: [1] 2 3