unodc brochure issue 11 wv

7/29/2019 UNODC Brochure Issue 11 Wv

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Counter PiraCy Programme

Support to the Trial and Related

Treatment of Piracy Suspects

Issue Eleven: March 2013

Project Part Funded by the EU

UNODCUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime


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Foreword

ecient trial. Tis is the third o the highly successuljoint EU/UNODC programmes to have worked witha prosecuting state.

Te brochure will also explain the wider positiveimpact on Kenyas criminal justice system o the courtconstructed by UNODC or piracy trials in Mombasa.Now known as Shanzu Court it is used not only orpiracy trials but also or the wider benet o othercourt users on the Kenyan Coast: a clear exampleo UNODCs counter piracy work bringing widerbenets to the justice system.

As an agency with a mandate to consider victims ocrime as well as criminals, UNODC has also partnered

with the United Nations Political Oce or Somalia ina Hostage Support Programme. You will read in thisbrochure about some o the hostages that, ater releaserom long periods o mistreatment, have been assistedto get rom Somalia back home to their amilies.

As it approaches its ourth anniversary, UNODCsCounter Piracy Programme has never been busier.

As you will see in the pages o this eleventh editiono our brochure, UNODC is now supporting piracyprosecutions in Kenya, Seychelles, Mauritius andSomalia. With over 1,200 suspected or convictedpirates detained in 21 countries around the world,UNODCs work on counter piracy remains highlyrelevant.

Tis issue o the brochure ocuses on the rsthandover o suspected pirates to Mauritius. Tetwelve suspects were detained by the naval orces othe European Union in January 2013 and passed tothe Mauritius Police Force to be investigated. As withall transers, UNODC was involved in preparingthe police and other criminal justice agencies or theparticular challenges o investigating and prosecutingthis transnational crime and providing the necessaryequipment and inrastructure to ensure a air and

In this Issue

Foreword ....................................................................................................................... 1

Counter Piracy Programme in Facts and Figures ........................................................... 2

Improving Conditions or those Awaiting rial.............................................................. 4

Seeing Patterns .............................................................................................................. 5

Mauritius Milestones ..................................................................................................... 6

Te Journey Home ........................................................................................................ 8

Shooting Hoops in Hargeisa ........................................................................................ 12

Breaking Down the Language Barriers ......................................................................... 15

Prisoner ranser.......................................................................................................... 16


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Counter Piracy Programme

Counter Piracy Programme in Numbers

Number o piracy trials ailed due to lack o trial support

Number o courtrooms constructed or under construction

Number o piracy prosecuting centres that have received support rom UNODC

Number o prisons holding piracy prisoners constructed, reurbished or underway

Number o hostages helped to return home by UNODC

Number o Somali pirates prosecuted or awaiting trial in Seychelles, Kenya and Mauritius

Number o police ocers, prosecutors, judges and prison sta who have participated in UNODCorganised learning exchanges

Number o Somali prison sta trained

Number o days o interpretation delivered

Number o prisoners provided with welare support

Number o piracy prisoners held around the world

Number o international standard prison spaces provided under the programme

Year that the UNODC Counter Piracy programme started

Police and Coastguards

Te Counter Piracy Programme has set upand run a mentorship scheme, with eleveninternational proessionals delivering directtraining and support to hundreds o lawenorcement ocers in the region.

More than 100 police ocers have takenpart in learning exchanges with theircounterparts rom other nations andterritories.

Over 300 police ocers and coastguardshave received counter piracy training ormentoring.

Counter Piracy Programme in Facts and Figures

0

4

6

9

46

300

350

400

500

600

1200

1400

2009

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Counter Piracy Programme

Correctional acilities

Te Counter Piracy Programme has completed theconstruction o a state-o-the-art correctional acilityto house 380 inmates in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

In Puntland, a 500-bed prison is currently underconstruction in Garowe, and Bossaso prison has beenextended with a new 40 bed prison block and another200 bed block is underway.

Five prisons in Kenya have been subject to extensivereurbishment work.

In the Seychelles, the Counter Piracy Programme hasbuilt a 60-bed high security block and undertakenreconstruction work on the main prison, including anexercise yard and vocational training area.

wo additional prison blocks o 18 beds each havebeen added to the principal prison in Mauritius.

Prison Ofcer training in Puntland

Prosecution and Courts

Four dedicated courtrooms (in Kenya, Puntland, Seychelles and Mauritius) have been or are being constructed, byUNODC along with two Ministry o Justice buildings in Somalia.

Nine international civilian witnesses have been fown to the Seychelles to testiy in piracy trials. One civilian witnesshas been brought to Kenya, and one has testied via video link rom Poland.

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Transers

29 convicted pirates have been transerred rom theSeychelles to Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Five convicted pirates have been transerred rom theSeychelles to Bossaso, Puntland.

Repatriationwo teen-year-old suspects have been returned totheir amilies in Somalia.

Prison transfers59 piracy prisoners have been transered to Somaliprisons by the Counter Piracy Programme.

Hostage releaseForty-six released hostages have been supportedby the Joint UNPOS/UNODC Hostage SupportProgramme.


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Kenya

Inrastructure

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Improving Conditions for Those Awaiting Trial

Shanzu Court

o date, Kenya has had 83 successul piracy convictions.However, the movement o suspects between Shimo laewa and the courthouse in Mombasa was proving anarduous journey through trac which caused securityconcerns, hold-ups and communication problems.

With the assistance o UNODC and UNOPS, anew courtroom has been purpose-built adjacent tothe Shimo la ewa site, negating the need to transer.Shanzu Court has a secure dock, a separate witness

waiting area and improved holding cells.

In addition to piracy cases, the court has been usedor other high-risk trials including members o theseparatist group. the Mombasa Republican Council,accused o violent terrorist attacks.

Between July and November 2012, the courtroomheard 764 cases and has its own resident Magistrate,previously trained by UNODC. Judge Ole anchusaid: Tis acility is a big asset and a markedimprovement on security and conditions or the courtand accused alike. It has also eased the congestion inthe main Mombasa courtroom and we are grateul orthe involvement o UNODC.

Kenya was the rst state to agree to accept orprosecution suspected pirates captured in the waters oSomalia. It currently holds 130 convicted or suspectedpirates in its already over-burdened prison system.Tose convicted are oten serving long sentences o upto 20 years.

Shimo la ewa prison in Mombasa is a remand prison,holding 80 suspected pirates, the largest number orany prison in Kenya.

UNODCs relationship with Shimo la ewa goesback to 2009. Currently, UNODC is working on theollowing areas:

Improving the medical acilities Reurbishing the dispensary Providing prisoner uniorms

Improving water and sanitation acilities

Providing vocational training through constructionwork

Constructing classrooms or the borstal (juveniledetention acility).

UNODCs Shamus Mangan with Judge Ole Tanchu Outside court


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Greg Kitsell (standing) with members o the Mauritius Police Service

Seeing Patterns

New analytical techniques can be a vital tool in the ght against piracy.

Its all about seeing patterns, says Greg Kitsell, aormer UK Customs & Excise ocer and SeriousOrganised Crime Agency analyst. Greg is one o theCounter Piracy Programmes expert trainers. Hisspecialism: Crime Pattern Analysis.

It sounds like a bit o a buzzword, he says, but this isreal. With the right data, and the right tools or miningthat data, you can identiy evidence which can cut ocriminal behaviour at source.

Greg was recently training a group o police ocersin Mauritius, in a two-week course designed to bringthem up to speed in the latest analytical techniques.Te course was ollowed with a weeks intensivetraining in computers and specialist analytical sotwareprovided by UNODC.

Te crime scene is a ship in the ocean, explainsGreg. It might have been damaged or destroyed inthe process o capture. In the past, when a military

warship detained suspected pirates, they were usuallymore concerned with putting the boats and equipmentout o use than they were with evidence-gathering. Alot o valuable inormation would get lost that way.

Lately, though, there has been much more emphasison analysis. For example, i warships are able to recordbasic acts about the pirate skis they detainsuchas the amount o uel, ood and water aboard, andthe length o the storming laddersthey can deducevital inormation about the pirates range and theirintended targets.

UNODC has been providing countries which willreceive the suspects with the means and know-how toprocess such inormation.

Mauritius has been provided with telephone analysisequipment to track phone calls, and Greg gave crucialadvice on how to ollow money trails and organisationalnetworks.

Te course he ran also had some unexpected results.Ater the weekend break, the students told me theydapplied what they learned to a spate o motorcyclethets on the island, Greg recalls. Going through theirrecords, they identied likely suspects and a disposalopportunity on the second-hand spares market. Teymade our arrests and busted a gang who had beenplaguing the island or years.

Training


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Mauritius Milestones

Mauritius

Capacity Building

Mauritius is set to become a key player in the campaignagainst piracy in the Indian Ocean, ater signing anagreement to accept suspected pirates rom the EU. EU/UNODC commenced their joint support programmeto the country in August 2011. In December 2011 thelegislature passed the Piracy and Maritime Violence

Act, which came into eect in June 2012. As 2013began, the island state stepped up its commitment withthe arrival o the rst suspected pirates or prosecution.

Te twelve suspects had been apprehended by EUNAVFOR and delivered to Mauritius as part o the newagreement. Te joint EU/UNODC Programme hadhelped Mauritius prepare or the handover o pirates,based on similar schemes in the Seychelles and Kenya.

Te Programme lent support to the our pillars o theanti-piracy community: the police, prosecutors, courtsand prisons. Tere was a wide range o assistance,including training, reurbishment, unding or legal aid,and Somali interpreters. A ull-time Somali interpreterhas been provided by the Counter Piracy Programmeand additional interpreters will be provided as necessary.Te Programme is also committed to acilitating thetravel o civilian witnesses to testiy in piracy trials.

Te EU/UNODC joint programme sponsoredour prisons personnel rom the Seychellesand 4 rom Mauritius to visit prison acilitiesin Perth, Western Australia. wo additionalpersonnel rom Mauritius and nine rom theSeychelles were also included.

Delegates reported that their horizons hadbeen expanded and that they had learned manynew ideas, insights and procedures as well asmaking invaluable contacts and connectionsor the uture.

Tey looked at issues such as risk management;incentives; vocational training and juvenilesupport.

Te busy tour schedule included inspections,inormation and briefngs on a 900 bed

By March 2012, initial police interviews and evidencegathering will be concluded and the pirates will beawaiting trial. In anticipation o this, the CPP hasrenovated the courtroom in which the trials are dueto take place, installing a secure dock, automatictranscription equipment, videolink equipment andsecurity equipment.

Other material support to Mauritius includes crimescene analysis kits, and telephone analysis equipment,to allow authorities to harvest inormation such as calllogs rom seized cell phones. All was unded by theEU.

A key part o the commitment to take on piracyprosecutions comes with the handover o suspectsand evidence. An incorrectly managed handover hasthe potential to derail a prosecution. With this inmind, the CPP provided detailed handover trainingand support, and acilitated a number o simulationexercises, to the Mauritian authorities.

Te best orm o training comes rom the exchangeo skills and experience between countries accustomedto dealing with piracy issues (see box). Te CPP sent

male remand prison; a 600 bed maximumsecurity prison or male sentenced prisoners,including a high security prison within theprison; a regional multipurpose prison;a pre-release centre or 80 women; and anewly expanded juvenile detention centre or

remand and convicted males and emales.Mauritius Prisons Commissioner, JeanBruneau, said o the tour: "Tis was a greatopportunity or our team to take on boardsome valuable lessons rom a large-scalesystem. Te frst-hand experience that theybring back rom Australia will beneft theircolleagues in the service, as well as inmatesand other stakeholders."

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Capacity Building

Mauritian police ocer Rony Narain to the Seychellesto spend six months with the counter piracy unitthere. He also escorted the 12 suspected pirates romDjibouti to Mauritius, and personally took charge othe evidence in the case.

Additionally, the CPP supported the secondmento three prosecutors and our police ocers to theSeychelles to shadow piracy trials. Four prison ocers

were sent to Perth, Australia, or a study tour o acilitiesthere. Meanwhile, the prisons service in Mauritius isbeing assisted in the production o a 10-year strategicdevelopment plan by one o the CPPs experts in theeld.

Prison acilities in Mauritius are being upgradedcourtesy o the joint EU/UNODC Programme. A

wing o Beau Bassin prison with spaces or 35 prisonershas been reurbished, specically to hold suspected andconvicted pirates.

UNODC interpreter Said Abdirahman assisting an apprehended pirate being seen by a medical ofcer in Mauritius

Caption

Sharing Skills, Real-lie Learning

Te CPP has been active in providing RegionalLearning Exchanges. Tese have developed tobecome UNODCs main orum or training incounter piracy issues or the Seychelles, Mauritius,Kenya and anzania. Delegates come romcountries across the region to learn new skills andshare their experiences. Te emphasis is rmly onparticipation: as well as sessions led by internationalexperts, the delegates are encouraged to relate theirown experiences and share expertise that they havedeveloped in their own careers.

Te most recent Learning Exchange, in Mauritius inDecember 2012, ocused on prisons. Te one-weekcourse was attended by 25 participants rom acrossthe region.


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Repatriating them was never goingto be an easy task. I had to deal withmultiple embassies, as well as thePuntland and Kenyan authorities,and diferent internationalagencies in order to prepare allthe required documentation andmeet the logistical challenges o the

repatriation.

The Journey Home

Leonardo Hoy-Carrasco, Associate Hostage Release and Repatriation Ofcer

with the Joint UNPOS/UNODC Hostage Support Programme, shares his

experience with assisting reed hostages to get home and rebuild their lives

prisoner. Naturally, the priority o each o these diverseindividuals was to return to their home and amily assoon as possible. Repatriating them was never going tobe an easy task. I had to deal with multiple embassies,as well as the Puntland and Kenyan authorities, anddierent international agencies in order to prepare allthe required documentation and meet the logisticalchallenges o the repatriation. I was very aware othe physical and mental trauma the hostages hadexperienced, so my main concern was to make thisprocess as pain-ree as possible or them. Many othese tasks were made easier by the great help wereceived rom the Director General o Counter Piracyin Puntland, who took care o all the immediatemedical needs, as well as acilitating logistical supportin Puntland. He even took the hostages shopping ornew clothes in Bossaso.

It was truly like being born again. We had given uphope and suddenly we were brought back to lie.

Tose were the words o a crew member o the MVIceberg, released in late December 2012, ater beingheld hostage or over one thousand days o the coasto Somalia.

It was a traumatic rescue. Te cargo vessel had runaground, due to the inept navigation o its pirate crew.Te Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) hadexchanged re with the pirates, and the hostages hadquivered terried on deck as the bullets rang aroundthem. Eventually, the pirates let the vessel whichallowed or the sae release o the captives.

In the end, three o the pirates were captured on landbut that was scant consolation to the 22 hostages,

who had endured almost three years o captivity,degradation and torture. At times, they had beenreduced to drinking salt water in order to survive, and

were orced to work in lie-threatening conditions.One crew member had his ear cut o and another lostthe sight in one eye ollowing a beating. One o thecrew members died and another is still missing.

Te Iceberg was registered in Dubai, fying thePanamanian fag. Te crew members came rom an

wide array o countries, including India, Pakistan,Te Philippines, Yemen, and Ghana. Tere wereeven two citizens o the new state o South Sudan,

whose nation did not exist beore they were taken


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U

Heartelt goodbyes

While considering what to prepare in terms o medicalaid or the repatriation fight, I asked mysel: Whatstate would a human being be in ater enduring theseatrocities or so long? I was astonished by the answer.

All hostages were strong and ready to go home. Teywere smiling and thanking the people who had releasedthem; quiet at times but determined and orward-looking. Te strength, determination and perseveranceo the crew o the Iceberg remains a truly remarkableexample o what the human spirit can overcome.

One o the hostagesa riendly Ghanaian namedJeweltold me that he had been so horried by thetreatment he received at the hands o his captors thatonce reed, he never wanted to touch Somali soil again.

Yet here he was, on the tarmac at Bosasso airport,exchanging hugs and ond goodbyes with the Puntlandpolice ocers who had looked ater him ollowing his

release. Te same was true or many o his colleagues: thekindness and support demonstrated by their liberators

was an important rst step in the healing process.

As we travelled back to Nairobi together, I noticeda sense o anxiety start to descend upon the reedhostages. For almost three years they had been eachothers amily and helped one another stay alive andsane through their collective nightmare. Only theyully understood what they had gone through, andin an hours time they would be parting company perhaps never to see each other again. When I think otheir calm dignity and courage, I eel privileged to haveplayed a part in their long journey back home.

Te support given to released hostages varies enormouslyrom country to country. Tose rom wealthy nations

will almost certainly receive counselling upon theirreturn home but many others will be expected to pickup their lives where they let o, without any kind ohelp. Its an issue I am keen to raise with internationalactors involved in ghting piracy.

Te support given to releasedhostages varies enormously romcountry to country. Tose romwealthy nations will almostcertainly receive counselling upontheir return home but many otherswill be expected to pick up theirlives where they let of, withoutany kind o help.


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The Journey Home

Oten, dreams o being reed and going home areshattered as returning crew members nd their amiliesin crisis. Te amilies o the hostages have been orced torun up massive debt, based on the assumption o theirincome, in the hope o raising a ransom or simply tosurvive in the absence o the main breadwinner. Someship owners reuse to pay salary or the time that a crewmember is held hostage. Its the ultimate cruel irony thathostages can nd themselves ree, only to be plungedinto a new and distressing crisis. Our commitment toreleased hostages cannot just end with their repatriationas many o them end up suering twice.

Its important to help reed hostages re-establish theirlives and recover mentally so that they can re-join the

workorce. I have tried to stay in touch with all o thehostages that have been supported through the JointUNPOS/UNODC programme.

Tough all are thankul or the support they receivedupon their release, many are still struggling to rebuildtheir lives and more needs to be done to support themin the post captivity stage.

Leonardo Hoy Carrasco (third rom right) with the released hostages

Worldwide piracy incidents in2013 (to end Feb):

Total Attacks: 44

Total Hijackings: 3

Current crew/vessels held by Somalipirates (end Feb 2013):

Vessels: 7Hostages: 113.

Source: International Chamber of Commerce


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Jewel Kwesi Ahiable, crew member o the MV Iceberg, was held by Somali

pirates or over 1000 days. Here, he recounts his ordeal in his own words

Warships came around on several occasions.Sometimes two warships at a time, helicopters fyingover, aeroplanes. In act, whenever this happened, itcaused us more problems, because the pirates put usunder more pressure, closing all the windows and wealmost suocated.

On the 10th December (2012), at about 5.30am, I wasjust about to pray, when I heard the pirates makinga lot o noise. Ten we heard gunre, and ater thata very great exchange o re. It wasnt long beore achopper came, and the pirates ran down and told usto go to the upper level. Tats where we had to hide: avery dangerous place.

We thought we would be rescued then, but in actit continued or thirteen days. Te bullets were justfying, penetrating where we were. Te pirates weresae, but we were let to the mercy o God.

On the 22nd, a pirate came to us and told us theywanted to surrender, but the commander (on shore)would not let them. Tat aternoon, they told usthey were going home, and wed be given over to thesoldiers. We didnt believe it, because we were so usedto hearing lies rom them.

Te next morning, they were packing their things.Ten we all began to cry, thanking God, and around12 oclock the pirates let. wo crew had sustainedbullet injuries, and they were taken o too, or medicaltreatment.

We had no idea who we were going to meet. We weretaken o in a boat. In three years we had not steppedon land, so we sank to our knees in gratitude. Tat wasthe rst time we learned it was the Puntland MaritimePolice Force who had rescued us.

Initially, I hated Somalia and Somalians, because o thewickedness with which we had been treated. But wewere honoured at how our rescuers treated us. Teytook us to the top hotel in Garowe and we began toeel like human beings. On the way to Bosasso, peoplelined the roads cheering us. I am grateul to the Somalisand the people o Puntland or what they have done.

A Hostages Story

As hostages we went through a lot. When we werecaptured in May, we were taken to go and hijackanother ship, but that was not successul because

we encountered another warship on the way. Teyescorted us back to our anchorage in Somalia.

We went through dicult times. Our state o healthdeteriorated, because we had no medical supplies, we

were given little ood. Once the ships supplies ran out,we were just given a very little to eat. In the morningwe were ed chapattis made rom four and sea water.Sometimes we were given tea. In the evening we justhad white rice and water.

When the pirates ran the ship aground, the hull wasbreached and the hostages were orced to bail out theengine room. Te pirates took out their rustration onthe crew.

Tey molested us so much. Tey tied up the captain,dragged him on the foor, the bosun and chie ocer

were beaten, and a lot o others were beaten.

For three days, we were not given ood. We were notgiven water to drink. We had no sleep or three days.Tere were people carrying buckets, asleep on theireet. Te chie ocer was being beaten so badly, he wasbeing stabbed with a knie, and then he went missing.

We never ound him.

Jewel Kwesi Ahiable (right)


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Shooting Hoops in Hargeisa

Boreholes in Bossaso, and gardening in Garowe: making piracy prisons a place

or rehabilitation.

who have an outlet or physical activity, and whoare able to participate in education and vocationaltraining, are more likely to turn their back on crimeat the conclusion o their sentence.

In Hargeisa prison, the basketball court is just part othe involvement o the Counter Piracy Programme.

When we rst opened the Hargeisa acility in 2010,recalls Geraint Roberts, the CPPs logistics manager,the cells had good beds, mattresses, running waterand toilets. It was a state-o-the-art acility, up tointernational standards. Te problem was, the prisoners

were now in better accommodation than the guards!We realised that sta accommodation would also haveto be brought up to a higher standard.

Te solution was ingenious. Te inmates wereoered on-site training in construction skills, and thevolunteers honed their newly-learned abilities with theconstruction o a new block or the sta.

Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland

Somalias Piracy Prisons

Te team in blue take the ball, pass detly across thecourt, shoot or the basketand score. Te team inyellow clutch their heads in despair.

It could be a scene rom a riendly game o basketballanywhere in the world. But the yellow team areSomalilands trophy-winning prison ocers squadand their rivals in blue, who have just scored a symbolicvictory, are the prisoners theyre here to guard.

In line with an improved rate o conviction orpiracy-related oences, the prison population inSomalia, Somaliland and Puntland has grown inrecent years. Tis is also due to UNODCs policy otransers or prisoners, wherever possible (see page16). A key pillar o the Counter Piracy Programmesinvolvement with prisons and the ongoing prisonertranser scheme is the need or prisoners to be heldin humane conditions which accord to internationalstandards: not only is this a basic human right, but itis also thought to impact re-oending rates. Prisoners

Back in court


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Te scheme was such a success that it has had arewarding spin-o: the training unit now runs aconcrete block-making plant which has orders orover 150,000 bricks. As well as providing many o theinmates with skills that they will be able to transer tothe outside world, its an important revenue stream orthe prison service, where budgets are always tight.


Garowe

In Garowe, construction is also rmly under way. Tecitys present prison was designed to hold only 20-30 inmates, and is currently at more than double itscapacity. With an upswing in the number o piratesbeing repatriated, the need or a new acility waspressing. With the assistance o the Counter PiracyProgramme, a new prison is being constructed onthe outskirts o the city. Presently about 30% built,the entire acility is designed to accommodate 500prisoners in our blocks, and is scheduled to openin October this year. Te new prison will have manyamenities or recreation and trainingincluding agarden to grow resh vegetables or inmates and sta.Its another example o how the CPP aims to take anoverview o the prison environment, or the benet othe community as a whole.

When opened, the prison will also benet the localcommunity in terms o employment. An estimated300 sta will be recruited, and their training is akey part o the CPPs support to the acility prior toopening.

Taking prisons to a new level

Another brick in the wall: blocks made by inmates provide an additonal

revenue stream


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Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland

Bosasso

In Bosasso, work is at an even more advanced stage.Te prison has a recently opened 40-bed building

which currently houses 30 pirates recently repatriatedrom the Seychelles. Ultimately that building willbecome the emale block next to a 200-bed acility dueto be completed in the next ew months.

Te prisoners recently celebrated the successul strikingo water in a new borehole by raising the governoron their shouldersan example o the positiverelationship which exists between sta and inmates.

Te CPP has also supervised the construction o a newadministration block, gatehouse and secure entrance,a water tower and septic tanks. Some aspects o thebuild proved challenging due to the lack o technicalcapacity o local contractorsparticularly a lack oheavy machinery. But these issues were overcome withthe assistance o United Nations Oce or ProjectServices (UNOPS).

Court in the act: the basketball court being built in Hargeisa

Trench eat: the inmates dig a trench or a high-voltage cable to their

new workshop


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Breaking Down the Language Barriers

As part o the Counter Piracy Programmes commitmentto preventing uture crime through rehabilitation, aprogramme was launched in Montagne Posse prisonto teach Somali prisoners basic language, mathematicsand I skills.

wo Peer Partners were recruitedprisonerswho are themselves experienced, qualied teachers.

Lessons commenced in October 2012 and allprisoners attended classes on a set weekly timetable.Tere were almost 100 Somalis on the programmein two locations in the prison. Tere were about 12prisoners in each class and attendance was excellent,and during that time the Somalis began to appreciatereceiving education in English, Maths and basic I.

Te training co-ordinators reported that the prisonersregard education as a very important aspect in theirlives and can see that through education they can aspireto livelihoods other than piracy when they are released.

Seychelles

Prisoner Education

An extract rom a letter to UNODC written by the Somali prisoners in Montagne Posseas they prepare to move to Somalia to serve the balance o their sentences:

We Somali prisoners want to take this golden opportunity to thank you or the very goodsupport we have and continue to receive.

We have each spent dierent amounts o time in prison but all o us appreciate the extento your help.

Right rom the time when we were rst arrested until today, when the time o our departurehas come to spend the rest o our sentences back in Somalia, through your initiatives inthe English and Mathematics class, most o us are able to read, write and communicate. Inact some o us can now speak good English and our desire is that this learning continueback home in Somalia.

We want to continue learning so we can work with the Somali government and help ourcountry to grow. Beore, we did not have a government and there was no order or school

but now we are ready to study.

Captive audience

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In March 2013 UNODC organised the latest transer o piracy prisoners rom Seychelles to Somalia. 25 pirateswere sent to Bosasso rom Montagne Posse prison in the Seychelles in three charter fights. 13 o the prisoners hadbeen apprehended by the US Navy and 12 by EUNAVFOR. Previously 34 pirates have been transerred to Somalia:29 to Hargeisa in Somaliland and 5 to Bosasso in Puntland.

Mohamed Rage, Puntland Minister o Ports & Marine ransport said: We would like to appreciate UNODCseorts or helping the Puntland government. UNODC have built prisons, conducted vital advocacy programsand are planning inmate development programs. I also I would like to thank the Seychelles government or theircollaboration to ght piracy.

Ali Nour, the governor o Garowe Prison, told the repatriated prisoners: Welcome back to your country. You arelucky to come back to your home, and we promise that you will get the same rights that you had in the Seychellesprisons.

Prisoner Transer

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UNODCUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

CONTACTS

If you would like to know more about the work that UNODC is doing in support of piracy prosecutions,please see www.unodc.org/unodc/en/piracy/index.html

Programme Coordinator: [email protected]

UNODC Regional Office in Eastern Africa

United Nations Avenue

Block A-208

P.O. Box 30218-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 7621890

Fax: +254 20 762367

Front Cover: Maham Mohammed Hersi, trainee prisons ocer, Puntland, at a recent UNODC training event. Photo: Mike Pfanz

Printing: UNON, Publishing Services Section, Nairobi, ISO 14001:2004-certified

unodc brochure issue 11 wv

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