GREECE AGREES AN INTERNATIONAL PIRACY COURT IS NOT THE RIGHT

UNCLAS ATHENS 001079 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT MARR PGOV PHSA PHUM PREL GR SUBJECT: GREECE AGREES AN INTERNATIONAL PIRACY COURT IS NOT THE RIGHT DIRECTION REF: STATE 58579; ATHENS 735 ¶1. (SBU) We delivered ref A non-paper, "An International Piracy Court: Not the Right Direction," to the Greek MFA June 9, and discussed it in a follow-up meeting with D1 Directorate (UN and IO Affairs) Counselor Dimitrios Papandreou and Legal Advisor Fani Livada on June 18. Echoing earlier comments from Greek officials (ref B),Papandreou and Livada indicated that Greece shares U.S. concerns about an international piracy court. Livada noted that German officials had been pushing the idea with her and other Greek officials, but the Greeks had three main objections: -- The time lost in establishing such a tribunal. -- The cost, both for establishing and maintaining the tribunal. Livada noted that if the tribunal was established by a UN Security Council Resolution, it was unclear how states would be assessed to provide contributions. -- The fact that piracy was a lower order of crime than those for which other international tribunals have been established, such as genocide, war crimes, and other crimes against humanity. ¶2. (SBU) Livada said that Greek legislation provided for universal jurisdiction over piracy, which in theory would permit Greece to try in domestic courts any piracy cases that occurred in international waters, regardless of whether Greek interests were victims. She said Greece was pleased with the Kenya arrangement, but she acknowledged that even if other regional countries agreed to take some pirates we would eventually reach the limit of their capacity. She said it was Greece's position that the flag of the ship attacked by pirates was the primary factor determining responsibility. She added that Greece would be hesitant to start accepting pirates for prosecution as long as other major states were taking few if any pirates for prosecution. ¶3. (SBU) Papandreou and Livada expressed strong support for continued close cooperation with the U.S. in the fight against piracy, including through the Contract Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) where they have both taken part in working group meetings. Papandreou stressed the importance of greater information and intelligence sharing, including information gained from trials and interrogations of pirates in Kenya. SPECKHARD