Puntland: Somali Government is dragging its feet on the Transfer of Somali pirates from Iran Jails

Puntland Counter-Piracy  has accused Somali government of dragging its feet on the transfere of Somali pirates who were sentenced in other countries in the world through Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme.

Puntland Counter-Piracy Director Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir (Du’aysane) said that 32 pirates, who were captured over hijacking vessels at Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden since 2008, are still in Iran maximum prison.

“Government of Iran is ready for negotiation, it is ready to facilitate the transfer of pirates who were serving their jail terms in Iran but it lacks anybody to discuss the issue with” he said.

he urged the government to negociate with Iranian government on the tranfere of those pirates.

“If those sentenced pirates are transferred here in Somalia, the accessibility of their relatives will easy and their health status can be monitored easily by authority” he said.

Pirates operate off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, and some deep into the Indian Ocean and as far south as Mozambique and Madagascar.

The cases of piracy at the Indian Ocean have greatly gone down recently following intensive patrols by foreign warship in Somalia’s waters.