“Not justifiable to release him at sea” – VG
A suspected pirate has flown to Denmark after he was injured in an exchange of gunfire with Danish soldiers. – Will not be medically justifiable to release him at sea, the Ministry of Justice writes in a press release.
Four people were killed when Danish soldiers tried to avert a pirate attack off the coast of Nigeria in November 2021.
The soldiers were on the frigate Esbern Snare, which is patrolling the area. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and four suspected pirates were killed. No Danes were injured. Four suspected pirates were also arrested, and one of them was seriously injured, reports NTB.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised the soldiers and said that they probably averted an attack on civilian merchant ships.
Two days later, the four survivors were remanded in custody. He who was injured was transferred to a hospital in Ghana, reports Extra Bladet.
Flew to Denmark
On Wednesday, it was decided that the suspected pirate would be flown to Denmark due to the damage.
It writes the Ministry of Justice in one press release .
“It will not be medically justifiable to release him at sea because he has sustained injuries in connection with the confrontation with the Danish soldiers,” the ministry writes.
– As a result of Denmark’s international obligations and the suspected pirate’s state of health, it has been assessed that this was no other way than to bring people to Denmark, says Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup (S).
– This probably means that he will be prosecuted in Denmark for attempted murder of Danish soldiers, it continues.
The pirate suspect’s defender, lawyer Birgitte Skjødt, confirms the above Danish TV 2 that he will be presented in the city court in Copenhagen City Court on Friday.
The newspaper also receives confirmation that the person in question has landed on Danish soil.
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– Unusual and extraordinary decision
The suspected pirate is due to appear in court on January 7. The three other suspected pirates are about to be released, it says in the press release.
The four were charged with murder, but on January 5, the charges against the three of the suspected pirates were dropped.
“An unusual and extraordinary decision”, says the Minister of Justice, because the government has no interest in getting the suspected pirates to Denmark and potentially could not send them out after a possible punishment.
– Therefore, I have quite exceptionally made the decision to order the prosecution to notify three of the four suspected pirates of apostasy. This means that the three suspected pirates have been released. They have no connection to Denmark, and the crime they are charged with has become far from Denmark. They simply do not belong here. And therefore I think it is the right thing to do, says Nick Hækkerup, to Danish TV 2.