POLITE PIRATES' CODE OF CONDUCT
Mirror
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The six raiders claimed they had a good conduct manual on how to seize foreign vessels to ensure their prisoners felt "relaxed and cheerful" during their week's captivity.
The written guide said they must not sexually assault women hostages, not shout at prisoners, give them food and drink regularly and let them sleep and use the toilet when they ask.
The gunmen even brought goats on to the 290ft French yacht, inviting their captives and 20 friends from their village in Somalia to an on-board barbecue.
The only violence was when one pirate shot another dead in a row over drugs.
The mostly French crew, who are returning home, said the pirates never abused them.
One told French newspaper France-Soir: "We really didn't have a bad time at all.
"At first it was frightening when men with guns boarded but we soon realised they were pretty nice guys. They were calm and polite and hardly even raised their voices.
Luckily they got what they wanted and left, because they didn't look like they really wanted to kill us."
The raiders boarded Le Ponant two weeks ago off Somalia as it headed from the Seychelles to the Suez Canal.
They were tracked at a distance by a French warship.
The owners paid £1million ransom and the pirates fled in speedboats.
But they were seized by French commandos in their village and flown to Paris. Investigators there are questioning the men, aged 25 to 40, who face trial for piracy.
A judicial source said yesterday: "They illegally occupied a vessel. Being 'nice' while committing a crime is no excuse."
Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off Somalia last year, despite international navy patrols.
France said it plans to lead anti-piracy measures to protect wealthy vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
THE CHARTER
No sexual assaults on women hostages
No shouting loudly at prisoners
Allow them to use the toilet
Give hostages food and drink regularly
Let them sleep when they want
Source: Mirror, April 19, 2008