Denmark drops piracy case against suspects

In November 2021, we reported that Danish military personnel responded to an attack upon a Danish Frigate – Esbern Snare – operating in the Gulf of Guinea.  You can read the news by clicking here.

According to an AFP News Agency report, the three suspected pirates detained on the Danish navy vessel will not face prosecution in Denmark over allegedly attacking the Danish personnel, according to their lawyers.

On Thursday, January 6, 2022, one of the lawyers for the suspects, Niels Anker Rasmussen, said that the prosecutor has decided not to prosecute his client and that he will be released “shortly”.  Two more lawyers representing the other two suspects told Danish media that the case against their clients had also been dropped and they too would be released.

Rasmussen also said that the decision not to prosecute the suspects was likely due to fears that, after any prosecution, his client would/could not be sent back home due to Denmark’s obligations, (i.e. under international conventions), and that if he did remain then this might inspire others to follow suit.

You can read the full news report by clicking here.