Puntland justice minister happy with Seychelles’ handling of Somali prisoners |07 March 2013

Mr Hassan said this yesterday when he called on Joël Morgan, the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport.

Minister Hassan’s visit was in line with the transfer of 25 Somali prisoners back to Puntland during three successful transfer flights over the past three days.
He met the prisoners prior to their departure and said he was impressed with Seychelles’ prison system which he has described as “very good”.

Minister Morgan thanked Minister Hassan and the Puntland government for accepting the group of prisoners being transferred to the Bossaso Prison in Bossaso, Puntland, which is the first transfer of convicted pirates originally apprehended and transferred to Seychelles by the EU Navfor.

He said he was pleased with the way the extensive prison capacity programme, funded through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) counter-piracy programme, is progressing, allowing for these prisoners and more to be flown out of Seychelles in the coming months.

Twenty-five prisoners have already been repatriated back to Puntland to serve the remainder of their sentences.
Minister Morgan also expressed Seychelles’ support in the efforts being made by Somalia to bring about stability and the rule of law in the country.

Following the recent repatriation, there are 63 Somali prisoners at the Montagne Posée prison. A further nine newly captured Somali pirates are expected to arrive at the prison in the coming week, making a total of 72.