31 October 2011

Court report 18 October 2011

Court report 18 October 2011

“You live in paradise – we live in hell”. Two more personal statements of the defendants and a missing witness.

Originally, another member of the Taipan crew from the Sri Lanka was supposed to appear in court today, but didn't show up. Although 9 of the defence counsel had already indicated that they didn't require the witness, he was still summoned. But the sailor is at sea, so the summons could not be served.

21 October 2011

18 October 2011

Short Court Reports from 4/5 October 2011

4 October
The defendant who made an extensive statement on September 26 answered questions from the judge. Most of what he said last time was regurgitated. He talked about his three wives, him keeping his clan-association secret from them and that he wasn't a pirate. And how he swapped a mobile phone for 260 litres of fuel. At the end, he manages to incriminate another of the accused.

5 October.
The defence lodged several more applications to subpoena 2 ethnologists and a German army officer, and to request the interview tapes from the Tromp. Another defendant made a statement and contradicted part of what the previous defendant said.

During the interview, the judge tried visibly to phrase his questions in a way that the defendant would understand. The fact that the issue of understanding isn't just a matter of phrasing the questions is exemplified by the following exchange. The defendant talks about how his parents left with a donkey. The judge then asks:

"Did the donkey have to walk by itself?"

08 October 2011

On why Malta authorities refuse asylum to some young Somalis asking wrong questions.

The Somali Jung people are refused as asylum seeker , if they can not answer the question.
For example: what is the colour of Somali flag?
If you ask this questions maybe Somali young people don't answer because they haven't seen the flag in somalia.
Everybody knows what is going on in Somalia : war ! since 20 years!
In Somalia is no peace, since 20 years.
Somalia is no education, since 20 years
So that the young people of Somalia are not educated .
They can not answer more questions that are requested for asylum seekers.
This issue is a very important one, because the Somali refugee maybe he wants to defend his rights as asylum seeker . So i request the international community especially the refugee commissioner : respect the situation in somalia and learn more about what is going on in somalia.
That would be a good way.

07 October 2011

A report the court in Hamburg should read

A report the court in Hamburg should read, while keeping three minors in pretrial detention for 18 months.

The socioeconomic impact of pretrial detention
Open Society Justice Initiative, 2011

The goal of this paper is to focus on an important and underappreciated issue and assist countries and  governments to better understand it and more effectively design policy responses to it. Although this paper makes reference to specific situations and countries, it is important to note that excessive pretrial detention is a global issue affecting developing and developed countries alike. 


International Juvenile Justice Observatory 
Download the report from here 

06 October 2011

On young Somali people working as pirates in Somalia.

An interview with A., Somali Human rights activist who had to flee Somalia and is now a refugee in Malta.

15 September 2011

What do you think about young people in Somalia who have become pirates?

My feeling is that maybe the warlords used these young people.
They stay behind of the young people.
They give the weapons, they give the small money and the boats and they say: go and kidnap the international ships in the sea.

If you want, ask the intelligence in Mogadishu they know. Because when they take the ransom, you know, immediately the ransom has the warlord.

In Somalia it's clan-ism, every clan has a warlord. This warlord has more money, more guns. Also, he uses the clan children. The people don't have work, the only work that is in Somalia is war.
He gives the money so they have work.

So the issue of the pirates in Somalia, maybe the responsibility of this issue, is with the warlords in Somalia. Ask! Everybody knows of Somali people. Especially the regions, the area of the sea like Mogadishu, like Galkayo region, like Boosaaso region - because the clans of the region participate are pirates of the sea. They share the information, they share the money, they share the guns .
They share.

But it's not wanted to take action against these people. Because now the world is one village, I stay in Malta - if I want New York, I call them, I use internet. The world now is one village, so no one can say he doesn't know what's going on.

Thank you!

Trial drags out into 2012

The court has set new dates for the trial up to the end of January 2012:

Mon,  05.12.2011
Wed,  07.12.2011
Mon,  12.12.2011
Wed,  21.12.2011

2012
Thu, 05.01.2012
Mon, 09.01.2012
Mon, 16.01.2012
Tue, 17.01.2012
Fri, 20.01.2012
Wed, 25.01.2012
Thu, 26.01.2012
Tue, 31.01.2012

04 October 2011

Court Report 26 September

One of the accused made a comprehensive statement regarding the charges.

He told the court that he was forced by five armed men to participate in the attack on the Taipan. He had been picked up by the Dutch marines before, when he and other fishermen had been in an emergency when their motor had failed on the open sea. When they saw the Dutch frigate they tried to attract their attention. He believes the Dutch marines are doing practice runs where they deliberately arrest fishermen. The group of fishermen were released and were even given a new motor. On their way back to the coast they were set upon by the five armed men. The accused was kidnapped, while one other fisherman was killed and thrown overboard and another severely injured.