12 Somali pirates appear in Mauritius court
PORT-LOUIS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) — Twelve Somali pirates, who were transported by air to Mauritius from Djibouti, appeared in an intermediary Mauritius court on Saturday morning.
Under the piracy and maritime violence law, the suspected pirates were charged with the crime of “engaging in piracy acts in the sea.”
The 12, who were aged between 20 to 45 years, arrived in court under heavy police escort with hundreds of onlookers.
Their appearance in court was in conformity with the protocol established under the auspices of the Anti-piracy Operation Atalanta which is led by the European Union in the Indian Ocean, especially along the Somali coastal waters.
During the arrival of the pirates on Friday evening, over 100 police officers were deployed around Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport to provide security.
The pirates are expected to appear in court on Thursday next week before Justice Prithviraj Fekna who will preside over their case.
Source Xinhua
