Republic of the Seychelles Prosecution of Suspected Pirates
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington,
DC
March 6,
2012
________________________________________
We
welcome today’s decision by the Republic of the Seychelles
to accept 15 suspected pirates for prosecution in connection
with an alleged attack on a merchant ship and the abduction
of 13 Iranian fishermen rescued by the U.S. Navy on January
5. Today, these individuals join more than 1,060 other
suspected pirates facing justice in more than 20
countries.
We appreciate the Seychelles’ regional leadership on counter-piracy, as seen in their willingness to prosecute and incarcerate Somali pirates, as well as their plans to host a regional intelligence coordination center to support future piracy prosecutions. The successful resolution of this incident marks a positive step forward for building a strong and unified international response against piracy originating from Somalia and for promoting freedom of navigation worldwide.
ENDS