Report from 11 April 2011

Weapons live and in colour, another police witness, applications by the defence and court decisions.

First up, a display of weapons that were found on the Taipan and which had been shown on photos: RPGs, AK47s, pistols , ammunition and cell phones. Every item is held up for everyone to see, especially the cell phones, which appear to be very dangerous. No one has any questions so all the guns are packed away again, a process for which the court room has to be cleared.

Report from 4 April 2011

Today, the team leader of the special commando on board the Tromp gave evidence. He appeared under the pseudonym “Jeffrey” and was wearing make-up, a wig and a false moustache. The judges asked several questions regarding the type of ammunition that was used. He stated that only .50, 7.62 and 9mm were used.

Report from 30 March 2011

The commander of the Dutch helicopter, H.W.M. Veldhuizen gave evidence about the mission to board the Taipan. Lots of detailed questions were asked about the ratio of live ammunition to tracer ammunition, the range of the helicopter depending on air temperature and payload, etc. 3 communication channels existed between the Tromp, the helicopter and another surveillance plane. Some communication transcripts were read out. From that it appears that at some stage the helicopter was ordered to gain height because the Tromp was about to fire shots from a 40 mm gun at the Taipan.

The best experts are sitting behind the glass in Court.

Mr Abdulahi  Mahamud Qalimow, political scientist from Somalia, leaving in Switzerland, attended the trial yesterday and could get an impression of the situation of the Somali people accused in Germany.
The security checkpoint on entering the court building, decided that the traditional shell he carries with him presented a danger to the justice system, so he had to let it wait for him coming out.

Then nobody could keep back his wish to greet the people form Somalia in this traditional way: In front of the Court building where the trial takes place.

Exclusive Fotos of a cruise Dubai-Nizza traveling the same time and route like MS TAIPAN

A Grandpa happened to travel on a Cruise trip along the same waters as the Taipan.

Cruise boats are accompanied by military (here English) during a part of the trip.

 And our friend offered his visual impressions of the trip that are very diferent from the ones we get in court during the trial.

 The riches in Dubai,

 the fishermen, probably working specially so that tourists can take pictures,

 the fisherboats having changed usage and are now carrying tourists around the harbours,

or are already museum pieces,

 and the varietey of boats cruising through the blue waters.

small fisherboat versus

 containership, gives an impression of the different worlds meeting and sometimes clashing in these waters.

"Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints, enjoy your visit!" advise the locals

stop the militarisation of the seas!

reclaim the seas!

Trial 20.04. Somalia Expert Prof. Mathies

The Professor turned the Court into his university .The whole Court had to sit quietly and look at the images he showed on the wall, explaining life and  habits of Somalian people. Here you can see the visual explanation of the Clan system.

I wonder what the 10 somali men, accused, are thinking about the Germans explaining to one another their lives and systems.
In the meantime - and because it sounded unbelievable that the clan members don't have difficulties to change the clan, and that their is no opression among clan members of different clans - we googled a bit and found out what the professor didn´t know:

"The Somali untouchables"
http://www.africamasterweb.com/AdSense/SomaliUntouchables.html
an Artikel of Bashir Goth

If you think that Dalits (untouchables) exist only in India think again. We have them in Somalia. But what makes the situation of ours even worse is that unlike India where people belong to different races, languages and colours; Somalia is the most homogenous country in Africa with people belonging to a single race and sharing a common language, a common religion and a common skin complexion.

To find a dehumanised group of people in a third world country may look normal, despite its gravity, but the real tragedy is when international human rights organisations ignore the plight of such people.

One such blunder that went unnoticed appeared in the March 2007 report of the Minority Rights Group International (MRG), which placed Somalia above Iraq as the world’s most dangerous country for minority groups. For anyone familiar with Somalia, this assessment will conjure up images of clans who suffered for centuries from sub-human treatment. We Somalis know them; UN organisations on the ground know them and anyone with Internet access will have no difficulty to find them. 

New date : Harbour Tour : Sunday 15.05.2011

The second Harbour Tour on the subjekt:
PIRATES?!  Gloreiche Halunken oder Abgehängte dieser Welt?
(sorry i cant translate it)

will take place now on a new date:
Sunday 15.05.2011 , 17 o´clock,
Anleger Vorsetzen (U-Bahn Baumwall)

Jung Media Activists from several Countries, visiting the Trial on the 20.4.

They all come from different countries, are all refugees in Germany, most not older than 20 years.
Part of their Media training taking place near Hamburg for a week, was a visit to the Trial.
To see the Somali jung people sitting acused at court and hearing that this boys, same age like them,
are spending months in prison, not being able even to learn german, surprised them.
Also the fact that the same authorities that make that underaged refugees ariving in Hamburg, are made in one day older than 18, out of the only purpose to be able to send them away from Hamburg and not give them  the possibility of being taken in care due to their age, that the some authorities of the University Hospital of Hamburg UKE-Gerichtsmedizin, decided that the under aged Somalis are older than what their parents say,so that to be able to keep them in prison.
The media activists made Audio interviews with different people around the trial. And published on their newly made blog:

.. I was so amazed to enter the court for the first time but i never knew that before someone enter the court you have to be properly search as if as you want to to travel by flight but it was ok as they are trying to protect there country.
It was really ok for me to do some follow up about this ten (10) Pirates fro Somalia, and what i learnt from the discussion today that this people have no good resources in there country and the country was so poor that why they do suck kind of act. But in the other hand, the Western Countries will come to Africa and collect all our resources and try to build up there countries whilst Africa will remain poor and no punishment will be given to them, but as soon an Africa did something the whole world will start to work on there laws that governs them so that they will punish Africa, and when someone is cut he or she will be put into prison for years without taken any decision which is not good.The Pirates face the court today and below are some informations which you can follow.

The group were captured by a Dutch marine commando and taken to Netherlands and from there they were extradited to Germany to stand trial in Hamburg. Hamburg being the city where the ship’s owner’s multi-national company is registered.

 more about the experiances in Court and Audio Interviews in German:
http://media.jogspace.net/de/2011/04/21/piraten-prozesse-in-hh/

Upcoming Trial Dates up to August 2011

18.04.11.  no trial!
20.04.11.  Mathies- Hinrichs
04.05.11   De Wind
27.04.11   Hinrichs
norwegean specialist on Somalia mid May.

Visual Report from : 11 April 2011

the weapons are being brought away from court - copyright s.