Spain introduces new law to fight piracy off Somalia

Africa News

Nov 13, 2009, 14:36 GMT

Madrid - The Spanish government Friday approved draft legislation establishing prison sentences of up to 15 years for people hijacking vessels or aircraft. The law was aimed at dealing with cases such as the hijacking of the Spanish fishing vessel Alakrana, whose 36 crew have been held by Somali pirates for more than 40 days, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said. The law will define piracy as a criminal offence. It however cannot be applied retroactively to the Alakrana case. The government also toughened legislation against corruption, introducing the offence of bribery between private persons. Spain's political scene has been rocked by a string of corruption scandals in the recent months. New legislation will also subject terrorism convicts and sexual offenders to stricter controls, making it possible to keep watch over them for 10 years after they have served their sentences. The new laws need to be approved by parliament before entering into force.

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