Somalis in court: Situation back home forced us into piracy

The court will next month hear 60 accused in the third case.

CLAIMING THAT they became involved in piracy due to the conditions in their country, 16 Somali nationals sought leniency before a sessions court on Tuesday. The men, accused in one of four cases involving a total of 118 Somalis accused of piracy on the high seas, were produced before the court for recording their statements.

The court first put forth the main incriminating evidence against them. Since they have already agreed to a voluntary plea of guilt, the men accepted the evidence against them to be correct. Further, Judge J C Jagdale directed each of them to come forward and speak in their defence, if they wished to.

One of them, Mussa Ahmed Abdul Rehman, told the court through the interpreter, “Whatever mistake I committed was due to the collapse of the government in Somalia, lack of opportunity and situation in the country at that time. Therefore, I seek to be treated with leniency and lesser punishment.”

The men were arrested in March 2011 after a long battle in the Arabian Sea with the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. The men had allegedly hijacked an Iranian-flagged vessel, MV Morteza, for piracy operations. In the operation, 12 Iranian nationals and four Pakistanis were also rescued. From January to March 2011, four anti-piracy operations carried out by the Indian Navy had led to the arrest of these men.

“There was no government in my country at that time. I did a mistake as there was no opportunity. Please consider this while deciding on our fate,” said Ali Afrah, another accused. He added that he had been lodged in a prison in India for the past seven years and had a wife who was still waiting for him. Others, too, made similar pleas, saying they wanted to return to their families. “I want to join my parents who I have not even spoken to in the past seven years. They are getting old and they need my help,” said Hasan Siddhu.

Some of the accused said they wanted to see their children who had grown up without them. Two of the men claimed they were minors at the time, barely teenagers at the time of their capture. The court was also informed by a Somali Embassy official that one of the 118 accused had been informed recently that his wife had passed away back home.
The court will next month hear 60 accused in the third case. After the accused of all four cases are heard, the court will begin hearing final arguments.

sadaf.modak@expressinbdia.com

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram