17 suspects freed by Danish Navy

(BRUSSELS2) The Danish frigate Absalon released 5 suspected pirates on the Somali beach on Thursday (April 17). They had been arrested on February 27, when the Absalon had freed a fishing boat used as a mother ship by the pirates, as well as 16 Pakistani and Iranian sailors (2 hostages had been killed during this action). The Danish authorities, “Based on the evidence gathered, have explored all possibilities of handing over the alleged pirates for prosecution in any country in the region” said the Danish operations command in a press release. But that was not possible. Hence the release more than a month after capture. The freed sailors - and the bodies of the deceased - were handed over to their respective national authorities during a stopover in Kenya on March 15.

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