Somali pirates said to move hostages to land

Jul 19, 2009, 15:32 GMT

   Berlin - Somali pirates have moved to land four hostages from a captured German-owned ship as ransom negotiations drag out, a German news website said Sunday.

   The Hansa Stavanger and its crew of 24 were seized April 4. Germany abandoned an operation to free it by force. It is among about 20 foreign ships held hostage by the pirates.

   Quoting one of the Germans on board, the Spiegel Online website said the pirates were nervous after three rounds of unsuccessful negotiations on a ransom.

They had taken three German hostages - a nautical officer and two 19-year-old trainees - and a Russian officer onto land and detained them an hour's drive from the Somali port town of Haradhere.

There was no comment from the German Foreign Ministry other than to say it was working hard to reach a solution.

On Saturday, another German-owned ship, the Antigua-registered Victoria, was released by the pirates, to the relief of its owner, the Intersee shipping company of Haren an der Ems, Germany.

   The Hansa Stavanger captain appealed to Germany two weeks ago to save him and the crew of 23.

   His wife said she will filed a criminal complaint accusing the ship owner, the Leonhardt & Blumberg company, of not doing enough, the news magazine Der Spiegel said.

   'It's up to the company to end this,' she said, alleging the company was bargaining for a lower ransom.