Piracy Trial Starts in France for Six Somalis

Six suspected Somali pirates went on trial on Tuesday in Paris for allegedly taking a luxury yacht hostage in 2008, it was reported.

The men, aged 25 to 50, are charged with taking the sailing ship Le Ponant hostage along with its 30 crew members in the Gulf of Aden. French soldiers in helicopters captured the men.

Only one of the suspects admits to being a pirate, while two said they went on board the ship to try and sell goats, cigarettes, and the narcotic plant khat. The other three deny setting foot on the vessel, reported AFP.

Michel Quimbert, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said the men who denied the charges “were in possession of part of the ransom and weapons when they were arrested… (and) were identified by the majority of crew members,” the news agency reported.

However, the defense suggested the men were traveling in a vehicle when it was stopped by French authorities.

Martin Pradel, the defense attorney, said, “It was six men stopped in a taxi.”

The trial comes a week after the European Union’s anti-piracy unit struck a Somali pirate base for the first time, using an attack helicopter and ships.

At the time, no EU soldiers were deployed on land and the attack did not injure anyone as it was meant to disrupt piracy.

The Epoch Times