36 occupants of a Spanish trawler that was boarded and captured by Somali pirates have been released by the hostage takers, with the pirates claiming that, $3.3 million were paid as ransom by the Spanish government for their release. The Spanish authorities have neither confirmed or denied paying the ransom to the pirates.

After the release of the hostages and the vessel, the trawler named Alakrana, which is a tuna boat was escorted out of the hostile area under the escort of two Spanish warships and the crew aboard the vessel is said to be in good health. The release of the hostages has taken place at a time, when two Somali pirates are being tried in a Spanish court on the charges of kidnapping.

As per a native Somali villager, the twelve pirates who had boarded the Alakrana came back at around 12 noon on Tuesday and assembled at the pirate town of Haradhere. The pirates were reportedly given a ransom of $3.3 million, after which the pirates left the vessel, under the watchful eyes of a Spanish warship.

According to the European Union Naval Force,

“Alakrana stated in her call that all the pirates had disembarked the ship and that she had sufficient fuel. The captain also reported that the crew of 36 were in good health.”

However, when the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was asked about the alleged paying of ransom, he simply stated that, the government did what it had to do, to ensure the safe release of the hostages. In a statement, he said,

“The important thing is that the sailors will be back with us. The first obligation of a country, of the government of a state, is to save the lives of its countrymen.”

However, many believe that, the extreme surge in the level of piracy in international waters, off the coast of Somalia can be accredited to the ransom payments that are being made for the safe release of the hostages of the country involved. In a similar incident, the Spanish authorities had paid a total of $1.2 million in ransom money to the pirates, to ensure the safe release of 26 hostages who were aboard another Spanish trawler, that was hijacked.

Via Associated Press.