Seychelles convicts Somali pirates

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov. 7 (UPI) — Fifteen Somalis were convicted of piracy and sentenced to 18-year jail terms in the Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles.

Seychelles Supreme Court judge Mohan Burham announced the sentence Monday of the men who boarded a merchant ship on the ocean, armed with assault rifles, Jan. 5, the newspaper Seychelles Nation reported Wednesday.

Thirteen Iranian fishermen were abducted, and rescued by the U.S. Navy.

He rejected the defense argument the men were merely fishing in the Arabian Sea, and noted Seychelles, an island country 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of the African coast, recently amended its laws to allow prosecution of pirates found within its borders and beyond.

The U.S. State Department said it welcomed the sentencing, noting it brought the number of convicted pirates on Middle East and African waterways to 631, with 44 convictions in Seychelles alone.

“We appreciate Seychelles’ regional leadership on counter-piracy, as seen in their willingness to prosecute and incarcerate Somali pirates, ” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.