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| Africa Horn |
| Eighteen Somalis face piracy charges in Kenya court |
| 2009-04-24 |
| [Mail and Globe] Eighteen Somali men, who were brought ashore in Kenya by European navies, crowded into a Mombasa courthouse on Thursday to face piracy charges. Eleven shabbily dressed men seized by French commandos in the pirate-infested seas off Somalia made their first courtroom appearance after being handed over on Wednesday. Next door, seven other suspected pirates who were turned in by German forces earlier this month awaited their own hearing. Both groups were seized by European navies after hot pursuits and dramatic captures. The French-seized men were taken in a pre-dawn raid on April 14. The Germans captured the seven men in late March. Magistrate Catherine Mwangi adjourned the case of the 11 until a bail hearing May 27. Until then, they will remain in a Mombasa jail. She also ordered court officials to dress them properly for their bail hearing. The men, who appeared solemn during their court appearance, wore faded sarongs, old jackets and cheap sandals. Two men wore no shoes. "I'm giving you an order that these people be dressed properly," Mwangi told court officials. Kenya has a deal with the European Union that allows them to try suspected pirates caught by European ships off the East African coast. Pirates have been tried in Kenya before -- 10 Somali pirates were sentenced in November 2006 to seven years in prison after the US Navy captured them. There also are several trials currently involving suspects handed over by Britain. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 No shoes No shirt No sentence |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-04-24 18:11 |