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11 Somali pirate suspects plead not guilty
NORFOLK, Va., Eleven Somalis accused of piracy and related federal charges for their alleged attacks on two U.S. Navy ships pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Norfolk, Va.
The defendants, originally charged with piracy and plundering, had additional charges tacked on to reflect their alleged roles in the April assaults on the USS Nicholas and USS Ashland, WTKR-TV, Norfolk, reported.
The men's attorney contends they did not try to seize the Navy vessels for profit so piracy charges are inappropriate.
The suspects, ages 18 to 32, appeared in U.S. District Court in two groups. One group is accused in the attack on the Nicholas and the other is charged in the Ashland attack, WTKR-TV said.
With the aid of an interpreter, many of the suspects told the court they had committed no crimes, the TV station said. One man crossed his arms and said he was ready for justice.
Their trials are set for October and November.
The men also complained of their treatment while being held in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail. The judge said the matter would be investigated and asked the jail to try to accommodate the suspects, who are Muslim, due to the upcoming Ramadan observance.
The international human rights organization Ecoterra International, which monitors acts of piracy in the Somalia region, said Wednesday there are at least 22 foreign vessels and one barge in the hands of Somalis against the will of their owners with at least 397 people detained.
NORFOLK, Va., Eleven Somalis accused of piracy and related federal charges for their alleged attacks on two U.S. Navy ships pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Norfolk, Va.
The defendants, originally charged with piracy and plundering, had additional charges tacked on to reflect their alleged roles in the April assaults on the USS Nicholas and USS Ashland, WTKR-TV, Norfolk, reported.
The men's attorney contends they did not try to seize the Navy vessels for profit so piracy charges are inappropriate.
The suspects, ages 18 to 32, appeared in U.S. District Court in two groups. One group is accused in the attack on the Nicholas and the other is charged in the Ashland attack, WTKR-TV said.
With the aid of an interpreter, many of the suspects told the court they had committed no crimes, the TV station said. One man crossed his arms and said he was ready for justice.
Their trials are set for October and November.
The men also complained of their treatment while being held in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail. The judge said the matter would be investigated and asked the jail to try to accommodate the suspects, who are Muslim, due to the upcoming Ramadan observance.
The international human rights organization Ecoterra International, which monitors acts of piracy in the Somalia region, said Wednesday there are at least 22 foreign vessels and one barge in the hands of Somalis against the will of their owners with at least 397 people detained.
