Kenya to prosecute 'pirates'

2010-05-19 15:33

Nairobi - Kenya's foreign affairs minister says the country will once again begin prosecuting suspected Somali pirates arrested by international warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

Moses Wetangula says authorities will evaluate individual cases and could decline to prosecute pirates if the cases do not meet certain criteria.

Wetangula spoke on Wednesday after meeting with Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign affairs and security chief, who is visiting the region to press for more help in prosecuting pirates.

Kenya is one of only two African nations to sign an agreement with the EU to take on piracy cases. Kenya earlier this year stopped accepting suspects, saying they put undue strain on the country's congested justice system.

- AP