Testimony from a crewmember – pirates threatened to execute him
A crewmember from a German ship that was hijacked off the coast of Somalia in 2010 testified that pirates threatened to execute him, suffocated him by placing a plastic bag over his head and led him to believe the ship’s captain had been killed during his eight-month ordeal.
Ukranian Oleg Dereglazov also said one crew member had his genitals painfully tied together with plastic ties. He detailed the torture aboard the Marida Marguerite on Thursday during Mohammad Saaili Shibin’s trial.
Shibin has been charged with piracy, hostage-taking and other federal charges in connection with the ship’s hijacking. Shibin also faces charges in the hijacking of an American yacht in which all four passengers were shot and killed.
Prosecutors say Shibin was a hostage negotiator. He has pleaded not guilty.
Source: AP