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Home Front: WoT

Accused Somali pirate arraigned in U.S. court

2009-05-22

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Somali suspect in the hijacking of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama last month pleaded not guilty to 10 counts including piracy, hostage-taking, and firearms charges in U.S. District Court in New York on Thursday. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse faces life in prison if convicted in any of eight of the 10 counts, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The U.S. Navy took Muse into custody April 12 after the hijacking in the Indian Ocean. He arrived in the United States April 21.

At his arraignment Thursday, Muse stood before Judge Loretta Preska wearing navy-blue prison garb and a bright orange undershirt. The defendant appeared dejected as he listened to the proceedings through the voice of an interpreter, looking downwards at his lap and feet most of the time.

The indictment charges Muse with eight counts that each could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison: piracy, possession of a machine gun while seizing a ship by force, hostage-taking, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, possession of a machine gun during hostage-taking, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and possession of a machine gun during kidnapping. The remaining two charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars: seizing a ship by force and conspiracy to seize a ship by force.

Defense attorney Phil Weinstein asked the court for time for the defense to conduct its own investigation into the case, and the judge agreed, setting the next hearing date for September 17. Weinstein then expressed concern over Muse's treatment under incarceration, alleging that prison officials were administering medication to him without proper consent and were denying him phone calls to his family in Somalia.

Weinstein also expressed concern about Muse's detention conditions. "He's been held in administrative segregation since his arrest, which means he's detained alone for 23 out of 24 hours a day," Weinstein told reporters gathered outside the courthouse. "He's unable to communicate with anyone except for us."

I don't think he'd do well in the general population in stir, and then we'd get blamed for that ...

Muse's defense team was joined outside the courthouse by Idd Beddel Mohamed, deputy permanent representative to Somalia's mission to the United Nations in New York. He told reporters his government is monitoring the proceedings and working with the federal public defenders to ensure proper legal protection for Muse. "We have full confidence in the U.S. legal system and we believe justice will be served," Mohamed told reporters.

I am amazed - CNN managed an entire story without once calling him a 'teenager'.

Posted by:Steve White

#1 "he's like a grownup child, really"

Posted by: Frank G 2009-05-22 10:11

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