Guyana Pirates Trial: Court Sentences 2 Pirates to Death Over Fishermen's Deaths

There are still pirates in the Caribbean, as shown in a recent case heard by a court in Guyana. The trial resulted in the Guyanese court sentencing two men to their deaths over the killings of seven fishermen in a case of high-seas piracy.

The court ruled that Nakool Manohar, 45, and Premnauth Persaud, 48, should receive the death sentence for masterminding a high-seas attack on a group of fishing vessels near the Suriname coast. Seven of the fishermen died in the attack while around a dozen others were left drifting in the Caribbean waters for days before finally being rescued.

According to the Associated Press, the two modern-day "Pirates of the Caribbean" can appeal their ruling to the local court of appeals and also to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice. However, it is still unknown what course of action they will be taking.

Justice Navindra Singh said that the pirates' attacks were so heinous that there was "no reason not to impose the death sentence." The judge also ruled that it would be reckless to "allow them to be released into society at any time."

The judge ruled that their death sentence will be imposed through hanging, which is still legal in Guyana. Hanging was also how many pirates in the Caribbean met their demise during the golden age of piracy.

The Pirates Committed Atrocities on the Guyanese Fishermen

The 2018 pirate attack that led to the deaths of seven fishermen was one of the deadliest incidents that happened in Guyana in recent years. Guyana's then-President David Granger called it a "great massacre" and a "great tragedy."

The group of 20 fishermen was working in four boats just off the coast of neighboring Suriname. This was when the pirates attacked, beating and robbing the fishermen, who were mostly from Guyana.

During the attack, the pirates forced many of their victims into the sea. They also tied weights into the legs of some of them.

Guyana had been mostly successful in curbing piracy off its waters. However, Granger admitted that the attack was a huge setback for his government. He also extended his sympathy to the family of the victims and gave them financial support, according to the BBC.

Piracy Levels Hit the Lowest in Decades for 2022

The ICC revealed its annual global piracy report for 2022 and announced that global piracy incidents hit the lowest levels in decades.

The ICC annual report recorded only 115 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2022, which is down from the previous tally of 132 attacks in 2021. Of those attacks, 107 vessels were boarded, two were hijacked, and five were attempted attacks. Only one vessel was fired upon by pirates.

For the Americas region, the ICC reported that there was a 33% decrease compared to 2021. However, it noted that several countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, including Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, and Haiti, continue to be affected by armed pirate attacks.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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