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First transfer of a pirate for trial in Belgium

(BRUSSELS2) One of the seven pirates arrested by the Belgian frigate Louis-Marie, at the end of November, took part in the hijacking of the Belgian dredger Pompei from April to June 2009 (1). It should therefore be transferred to Belgium, under the new anti-piracy law (2). This is the first time that a piracy trial will take place in Belgium... since.

We remember that, on November 29, the frigate F931 Louise-Marie, which is taking part in the European anti-piracy operation Atalanta, spotted a suspicious boat nearby and apprehended 7 suspects in Kenyan territorial waters (3). In accordance with the new procedures put in place for more than a year, legal proceedings and identification of pirates have been directly undertaken. And the Belgian General Staff has just confirmed it: "Following the results of the identification process, we can confirm that one of the 7 pirates had indeed taken part in the hijacking of the Pompeii. Defense will soon implement one of its planes to repatriate the pirate to Belgium." At the Belgian level, it is the federal prosecutor's office which will be competent.

The other six suspects will be handed over to the Kenyan authorities. Kenya having agreed to exercise its jurisdiction. The arrest having taken place in Kenyan territorial waters, it was quite logical. But the Belgian embassy in Nairobi was called upon to intervene with the authorities, in order to "accelerate" the examination of the file.

(NGV)

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Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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