Homecoming for 23 pirates detained by Seychelles

(BRUXELLES2) It looks strangely like an exchange even if the Seychelles authorities deny it. The Seychelles authorities have, in fact, announced that they have repatriated to Somalia 23 men suspected of piracy, arrested on several occasions. "We did not have enough evidence to prosecute them in our courts" they pointed out.

Among these suspects are the 9 people arrested in April by the Spanish frigate Atalanta, the Numancia, during the operation to intercept the Italian cruise ship MSC Melody, and unofficially "handed over" to the Seychelles authorities (they were released and then immediately taken back by the coastguards).

At the same time, several Seychellois sailors were freed by the Gara'ad pirates. The two small planes, Dornier 228, where they were were seized on Sunday by the Puntland authorities in Galkayo, while they were refueling, according to the Garaweonline site.

Also on Sunday, the Kenyan authorities had immobilized a plane at Nairobi airport, which arrived overnight, according to the Kenyan daily Nation. The Dash 8 had 40 people on board, a crew of 3 and 37 "pirates" according to the Kenyans, who were released by the Kenyan authorities. Between the planes seized in Puntland and the one seized in Kenya, the 37 from Nairobi and the 23 declared by the Seychelles, he seems to see some confusion. What is certain is that the Seychelles have emptied their prisons of "suspects" who had been locked up there for several months. In order to bring home the three sailors taken hostage.