ESBERN SNARE

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Amputated pirate asks for asylum

The 40-year-old Nigerian, who was wounded during a shootout with Danish soldiers in the Gulf of Guinea on Nov 24, 2021, and subsequently had to have one of his legs amputated, has now applied for asylum in Denmark. He was one of a total of eight suspected pirates on board a smallboat that opened fire on a helicopter of the 'Esbern Snare' when Danish forces wanted to board the boat to investigate whether they were planning piracy. Four of the suspected pirates were killed when Danish soldiers returned the fire. Four others were detained on board the frigate, but three of them were ordered by the then Minister of Justice to drop charges and were subsequently released. The 40-year-old Nigerian was taken to Denmark, where he was found guilty of endangering the lives of Danish soldiers, but escaped punishment due to mitigating circumstances - among other things, referring to the fact that the others were set free. Originally, he wanted to return to his family in Nigeria as soon as possible. But that required him to get a prosthetic leg - and that hasn't happened yet, because the Danish authorities could not agree on who should pay for it.

Amputated pirate escapes punishment

The 40-year-old Nigerian, who was accused of causing damage to Danish soldiers during a firefight, escapes punishment, even though a unanimous jury has decided on Nov 28 that he is guilty of the charges, according to the judgment from the Copenhagen District Court. The Nigerian was one of a total of nine suspected pirates who a year ago got into a firefight with soldiers from the 'Esbern Snare' in the Gulf of Guinea. Four were killed, one fell into the water and was never found, while four were arrested and taken on board the frigate. One of them was the 40-year-old who had been badly injured and had to have his leg amputated. That is why he was not - like the other three arrested - released again, but was flown to Denmark and first charged with attempted murder, then prosecuted under the milder section on causing damage. At the verdict, he was "found guilty of complicity in causing danger by, together with other perpetrators, having fired several shots at the helicopter of the frigate while it was in the air in the Gulf of Guinea. There was thereby an imminent danger to the life or safety of the Danish helicopter crew." writes the court in the judgment. Because his accomplices were released due to the charges being dropped - and the defendant's state of health, the court found grounds to vacate the sentence pursuant to Section 83 of the Criminal Code.

Suspected, amputated pirate denies guilt

A suspected pirate wants to go free from punishment due to discrimination. There was no danger to Danish soldiers, and the suspected pirates tried to escape, said the defense in the piracy case. The soldiers of the frigate killed four pirates in the Gulf of Guinea o Nov 24, 2021, in the Gulf of Guinea. Its helicopter and the Frog Corps ended up in a firefight with the suspected pirates. One was brought to Denmark and now risks just over a year in prison and deportation. In the morning of Nov 24, the 40-year-old suspected pirate appeared in a wheelchair in the Copenhagen District Court and listened to the closing remarks in the case against him. He had one of his legs amputated after he was injured in the firefight with Danish defense forces. While three other surviving suspected pirates were set free in a boat, he was brought to Denmark and prosecuted. His defender, Jesper Storm Thygesen, demanded the one-legged man be acquitted. Alternatively, he wants the sentence expunged, referring to the fact that the others went free. The prosecution has, on the contrary, demanded a sentence of between one year in prison and one year and three months. The Nigerian man is accused of having caused imminent danger to the life or safety of Danish soldiers, but denies guilt. The verdict will be handed down on Nov 28 at 2 p.m.