Garowe (SD) – The Puntland state parliament today repealed legislation allowing to imprison pirates since 2013 at the central prison in Garowe, the capital of Puntland state.

The parliament also nullified an agreement between Puntland and the Seychelles on piracy and set up a committee to secure the release of the prisoners.

37 MPs voted in favor of the release of the prisoners. Two lawmakers opposed it, while two others abstained.

The detainees were tried, and served years of detention in Seychelles and were transferred to Somalia, particularly Puntland, to complete their sentences.

The lawmakers, who have been debating the detention in recent days, called on the Puntland Minister of Justice, the Attorney General and all relevant commanders and questioned them on the legitimacy of the agreement.

Some lawmakers called for compensation for the pirate prisoners, and said they should not be held without the agreements first going through the judiciary and the legislative process.

It not known the number of pirates Puntland is currently holding, its believed that not all of them hail from Puntland, some are believed to be from Galmudug state.