Patterico's Pontifications

5/7/2010

Russian Quotes of the Day

Filed under: International,War — DRJ @ 8:45 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

In a raid to recover a Russian oil tanker seized by Somali pirates, a Russian warship recently killed 1 and captured 10 pirates. Now the Russian government has released the pirates, possibly because The Law of the Seas Convention could prevent Russia from deporting the captured pirates once they have served any sentences.

Russian Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov described their release as due to “imperfections” in international law, but he and President Medvedev also offered these more colorful descriptions:

“Colonel Kuznetsov appeared to echo those concerns when asked why the pirates who seized the tanker were released.

“Why should we feed some pirates?” he said.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russian President had yesterday hinted at possible tough punishments for the pirates taken in the troubled waters off the coast of Somalia.

“Perhaps we should get back to the idea of establishing an international court and other legal tools to prosecute pirates,” he said.

“Until then, we’ll have to do what our forefathers did when they met the pirates.”

Russians might do well on International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

— DRJ

11 Responses to “Russian Quotes of the Day”

  1. What? They don’t have any gold to be mined in Kolyma, or any uranium at Voynya Plenyi? I’d say that thirty-year sentences at hard labor in those places would make the question of “what to do with them on their release” academic, wouldn’t it?

    ISTR that North Korea captured some pirates a while ago, and were going to try them under North Korean law. Any idea as to what happened there?

    Technomad (e2c0f2)

  2. “Until then, we’ll have to do what our forefathers did when they met the pirates.”

    As far as I know, summary execution for piracy on the high seas is still perfectly in accordance with international law and custom.

    What’s frustrating for me is that some legal theorists have come up with a rationale as to why that shouldn’t be the case, but no better mechanism to replace it.

    Actually, no mechanism at all. But I’m sure whatever they come up with won’t be as effective as hanging them from the yardarm.

    Steve (9a21f4)

  3. The fear that the pirates could seek asylum in the country of the capturer is a real problem. Read this from the Times of London, two years ago:

    “Warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain.”

    The rationale is that if they are turned over to to Somalia they would be subject to human rights violations, such as having their hand chopped off. Even worse EU countries will not turn over suspects for trial in a country that has the death penalty. So the pirate has the best of both worlds, either a hefty pay day or a free ride on welfare in merry olde England.

    it appears the US has worked a deal with Kenya (it is legal to turn pirates over to a third country for trial). This is what we did with the recent captures near the Seychelles. It is probably cheaper to pay Kenya to incarcerate them and the accommodations far less luxurious.

    But hooray for the Russian in capturing them. In the future, hopefully they will find a way to have them tried in Kenya.

    Corky Boyd (1bbfd4)

  4. Just where did they “release” the pirates? Story didn’t say. Could be they “released” them over the rail of the tanker. Or it could be that the next time the Russkies have to recapture a ship from the pirates, they won’t bother taking prisoners.

    Mike Myers (3c9845)

  5. They released them, and allowed them to work on their physical conditioning at the same time:
    Over the rail five miles off the coast.

    AD - RtR/OS! (044556)

  6. Corky Boyd, actually there were a bunch of Afghanistan hijackers who hijacked a plane in London and held knives to the throats of the pilots and after they were caught, they sought asylum in England AND they got it. Then they demanded homes, money, and other perks. And they were given it. They actually sued the government for locking them up for a year while all this was settled and They got a settlement from the govt. They are all living in England.

    Look it up – or don’t because it will make you sick. I love England, but it’s a nightmare because of stuff like this

    Kim (301005)

  7. The Russians let the pirates go for the same reason Eric Holder gave the Underpants bomber Miranda rights: it served their purposes.

    Vladimir Putin doesn’t strike me as a man who would turn the other cheek, and Eric Holder never met a Islamic terrorist yet that he didn’t try to protect from interrogation.

    ropelight (2b194e)

  8. Once again we see the law of unintended consequences – from now on they’ll all be killed immediately, rather than risk this kind of denouement.

    Dmac (21311c)

  9. I think the North Korean punishment was asylum.

    Talk like a Somali Pirate day should consist of the word “Ouch”

    Steve G (7d4c78)

  10. The Somali pirates do seem to operate under the same code as our own original pirates of the Carribean. They only rob and pillage. They do not murder, rape, or abuse prisoners. Kind of a bummer, actually. 😉

    nk (db4a41)


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