News

As a Spanish warship looked on, a $3.3 million ransom was delivered by boat Tuesday and Somali pirates freed a Basque trawler and its 36 crew members reaching the end of a 47-day kidnapping.

After being freed, the Basque trawler steamed away under the protection of two Spanish warships. All crew members were reported to be in good health after more than six weeks in captivity, although Alakrana captain Ricardo Blach told Basque radio station Radio Euskadi some of them were sick.

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega told a news conference the Alakrana was headed for the Seychelles, where U.S. surveillance drones and several warships belonging to a multinational force are based.

Asked whether a ransom had been paid, Zapatero did not answer directly but said "the government has done what it had to do." "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."

The sister of one of the crew said the sailors were surprised and relieved to be free. "I spoke to my brother an hour ago. They''re still not very excited because it''s taken them by surprise. They still don''t really believe it, but they''re relieved it''s all over and want to get into port," Argi Galbarriatu told a news conference in the Basque Country town of Bermeo, where the Alakrana is based.

Pirates in Spanish prison

The pirates had been pressing for the release of two colleagues captured by Spanish naval forces a day after the hijacking. The Spanish government had been trying to find some sort of legal formula that would allow it to try them and send them back to Somalia.

The two were charged with kidnapping and related charges Monday. De la Vega declined to say if Spain might seek some sort of agreement with Somalia. "Now is the time for justice," she said. "Our prosecutors are acting in line with the principle of legality and impartiality, and our judges, who are an independent branch, will issue the verdict they deem appropriate."