Iran Deports Suspected Pirates To Somalia

Thirteen Somali nationals have been deported to Somalia after serving several years in Iranian jails for alleged piracy.

In a statement published on Iranian News Agency, the country’s Justice Ministry announced that 10 Somali convicts had been deported to their homeland on Wednesday.

The individuals are said to have been convicted in Iranian courts for piracy.

Deputy Minister of Justice Mahmoud Abbasi said that the convicts would end their jail term in Somalia.

Iran is among the countries that have been operating in the Indian Ocean to fight against pirates since 2011.

Its navy forces had seized boats and detained dozens of Somalis suspected to have been involved in piracy.

Many Somali pirates suspects are now serving jail terms in Iran.

Mid last year, Somali pirates had freed four Iranian sailors held captive for more than three years.

Piracy along Somalia’s coastline had fallen far from its peak in 2011-2012 when pirate “mother ship” boats ranged thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean.

Several foreign navies, including those from the European Union and China, operate regularly in the area as part of anti-piracy missions.