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DETENTION CONTINUES


Peter Hammarstedt
UPDATE: Monday 21, 2012.

In Germany "Wats-his-name" has been released from gaol/jail on bail of €250,000.  He must remain in Germany while the extradition order from Costa Rica is being processed.  The President of Costa Rica, who is a former Minister of Justice, is on an official visit to Germany this week.  My, My, what a coincidence!!

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UPDATE: Sunday May 20, 2012.

The extradition proceedings will continue on Monday in Frankfurt, Germany for SSCS pirate group leader "Wats-his-name".  The German Justice Ministry has set a bail of €250,000 for his release  and this money has apparently been placed at the disposal of the SSCS by a supporter.

If the Judge does release "Wats-his-name" on bail he must remain in Germany until the extradition proceedings by Costa Rica are complete.  Well good luck on him doing that! This means he cannot go to Paris, France for fund raising sessions based on the book "Interview with a Pirate" - well supposedly anyway, good luck with that too!! So once again "Wats-his-name" has openly declared he is a pirate and that supporter is in the position of making the money available to release an international self-declared pirate into the public domain once again.

Is it any wonder that NAUTICAL LOG - with possibly others - gets frustrated by the lack of effort to rescue the some 300 of our fellow seafarers held hostage by pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia when there are people willing to put up funds to release them into the public domain.  Should we be concerned that "Wats-his-name" could get a hard time in jail in Costa Rica for his acts of piracy.  Frankly it is hard to imagine anything actually happening to "Wats-his-name" after his release from a German gaol/jail next week.  Piracy is piracy and maybe someday some Government Authority - the Germans came close - will get real courage to seriously punish the whole damn lot of them and their contemptible behaviour.


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For whatever reason the German Ministry of Justice has not released Paul Watson.  There was a Prosecution motion presented which was delayed until the last moment this week and with a national holiday in Germany "Wats-his-name" remains in gaol/jail.


Of course the Sea Shepherd propaganda machine kicked into full speed and as so often happens with the SSCS their statement was inaccurate.  On May 16, 2012 SSCS members Peter Hammarstedt  (research found no Seaman's Papers, Officers Certificate or License) and Scott West (a retired U.S. EPA investigator) in their press conference at Frankfurt Airport came out with a statement which included:


"Germany considers sending whale defender to what will be a death sentence in Costa Rica".


Well now that is dramatic and catches the attention of those disciples of the SSCS.  They then went on:


"Your generous donation will help keep Captain Paul Watson out of harm's way and allow him to fulfill his mission."

Ahh! that key phrase.  No doubt it will and the money will support the Sea Shepherd pirate ships to continue to violate International Maritime Law.  However either the SSCS does not actually know the Law of Costa Rica or choose to ignore it as a fund raising gimmick.  Why is that?  You see when researching for this Post  NAUTICAL LOG found that Costa Rica abolished the death penalty in 1877 - yes 1877.


While it very possible that "Wats-his-name" will not have a very good time in a jail in Costa Rica he should not face the death penalty in the Courts of Costa Rica for his - boastfully self-admitted - acts of piracy. Is the SSCS lying once again about issues?  One has to wonder.


Good Watch.


The pirates of the Horn of Africa hold some 300 of our fellow seafarers as hostages off the coast of Puntland, Somalia.  As such they face mutilation and death every day.

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