Somali Pirate Loves Prison

(Rotterdam, Netherlands) It is a real dilemma when the worst punishment to be imposed by a court just so happens to be exactly the same as the grandest dreams of a convict.

Apparently, life in a Western prison is preferred over life not in prison in Somalia.

A Somali on trial for piracy is looking forward to a prolonged stay in the Netherlands, his lawyer says. [...]

Willem-Jan Ausma has never had to defend a client quite like this: one who is quite happy being in prison, and is almost looking forward to being found guilty and sentenced.

"For the first time in his life he has access to a real toilet. For the first time in his life he is in a safe environment," Ausma says about his Somali 'pirate' client.

Sure, 24-year-old Yusuf hasn't seen his family in more than four months.

"But he intends to send for his wife and children as soon as he is released from prison. He knows he cannot easily be sent back to Somalia. He loves it here in the Netherlands."

Yusuf is being tried with four other pirates and none deny their intentions to hijack a ship. Their defense will be that they all are poor fishermen and they were forced to hijack as an act of desperation. They are seeking sympathy from the court.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.