The crime of piracy.

Maritime piracy is considered one of the most important and complex maritime issues facing marine navigation. Maritime crimes have spread widely, and piracy has topped the pages of global news. The frequency of concern has increased with the rising rate of piracy incidents, despite international efforts to combat this crime. However, piracy crimes are continuously increasing to the extent that piracy accounts for 40% of maritime crimes. The spread of piracy in many regions of the world, particularly in East Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and other areas, has been alarming. The reason for criminalizing piracy is to protect maritime navigation, which is one of the fundamental political principles of international relations. Piracy is considered an international crime since ancient times and, in practical terms, represents a serious violation of the principle of freedom of navigation at sea. As for the old and modern piracy operations that date back to the sixteenth century and beyond - as discussed in stories, books, and historical and fictional films - their activity coincided with the flourishing maritime trade, which made piracy flourish especially since the pirates were supported by sectorial authorities that conferred legitimacy to their raids. In fact, some rulers and states would embrace prominent pirates, providing them with weapons and supplies in exchange for their protection for them and their ships, and they would issue them a special document known as a 'letter of guarantee and endorsement.' One famous example of a pirate is 'Henry Morgan,' who was honored by the Queen of Britain with the title of Sir and appointed as the governor of Jamaica - due to his cooperation with Britain and fighting against its enemies' ships - leading Jamaica to become a sanctuary for pirates and a main base for their attacks.