NEW YORK -- A Somali teenager has been indicted on piracy and other charges in the hostage taking of the captain of an American-flagged cargo ship in April. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse faces 10 counts, including piracy, seizing a ship by force and hostage taking. The piracy charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison.
A lawyer for Mr. Muse didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.
The American-flagged container ship Maersk Alabama was hijacked by a group of pirates off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean on April 8. Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Muse was the first pirate to board the ship, and that he conducted himself as the leader of the group. The pirates later left the ship on a lifeboat and took its captain hostage, prosecutors said.
On April 12, Mr. Muse left the lifeboat and boarded the U.S.S. Bainbridge, a U.S. Navy missile destroyer that was by then shadowing the lifeboat, while the other pirates continued to hold hostage the captain, American Richard Phillips, prosecutors said. Mr. Muse demanded safe passage for the pirates and received medical attention. U.S. Navy snipers later killed the three remaining pirates on the lifeboat, freeing Capt. Phillips. Mr. Muse was brought to the U.S. last month and charged. |