Three more Somali pirates sentenced to life in prison for killing four US citizens
A U.S. jury has sentenced three more Somali pirates to life in prison for their part in the 2011 hijacking of the American yacht S/V Quest, which resulted in the killings of four U.S. citizens who were on an “around-the-world” trip, prosecutors said on Friday.
The men were among 19 Somalis who, after several days of sailing at sea in search of a vessel to pirate and hold for ransom, attacked the 58-foot (17.6 meters) American yacht S/V Quest in February 2011 and held hostage its four passengers south of Oman.
The U.S military initially offered the pirates to take the vessel as long as they released the hostages unharmed, but the leaders of the group rejected the deal because they believed they would receive little money for just the boat. Abrar later fired a shot over the head of one of the hostages and instructed him to tell the U.S. Navy that, if they came any closer, all hostages would be killed.
But on February 22, 2011, the Somali pirates unexpectedly fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) in the general direction of the USS Sterett, which was not damaged. The hostage-takers then used small arms such as AK-47 rifles to fire at the warship, and witnesses testified seeing Salad, Beyle and Abrar shooting the hostages.
United States Navy SEALs were sent to board the yacht after the gun fire died down, but four of the hostage-takers were killed when a gunfight erupted between the Navy SEALs and a group of pirates that refused to surrender. Fifteen other Somalis, including a juvenile who has not been charged in the case, surrendered after some were seen throwing their AK-47 rifles into the water.
Prosecutors had demanded the death penalty for the pirates, but a jury recommended life sentences on Friday after two days of deliberations.
Learn more :
US Department of Justice – Three Somali Pirates Sentenced to Life-in-Prison for Murder of Four Americans Aboard SV Quest
AFP – US Jury sentences Somali pirates to life
Maritime Security Review – S/V Quest Hijackers Sentenced
Wikipedia – SV Quest incident
