Court Sentences 22 Pirates to 6 Years in Jail

A court in Somalia's Puntland region sentenced 22 men who were charged with piracy to 6 years in jail during a trial Sunday.

The French navy handed the men over on Saturday, March 20 to the authorities in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland for trial.

After hearing the charges and evidence brought against the suspected pirates in a 5-hour trial, Judge Aden Abdi sentenced each of them to 6 years in jail.

In their defense, the pirates argued that they were ordinary fishermen.

The Puntland legal system is a blend of customary, sharia, and secular law.

At the court session, Puntland Deputy Police Chief Mohamed Said Jaqanaf said an additional six suspected pirates had been handed over to Somali authorities.

After the trial, the men were escorted to prison to begin serving their 6 years.

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