India sentences 44 to life over Somalia piracy

An Indian court has sentenced 44 people to life imprisonment for crimes committed while hijacking vessels off Somalia's coast.

In two separate incidents, pirates had hijacked a bulk carrier and a fishing ship, taking their crew hostage before Indian navy ships rescued them and apprehended the attackers in 2024.

During their trial, all the 44 defendants, who are Somali nationals, admitted guilt, according to the judgements in both cases handed by a special court in Mumbai on Monday.

"The act of piracy on high sea by hijacking a vessel and keeping crew members hostage for ransom by attempting to kill them and to keep them as human shield are very serious things which cannot be taken casually," judge SB Dige said.

Held in custody since 2024

The first hijacking in December 2023 saw 35 pirates attack the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier MV Ruen. In March 2024, nine others hijacked the Iranian-flagged fishing ship Al Kambar.

The pirates, who have been held in Navi Mumbai's Taloja jail since 2024, were present in the court when their life sentences were announced, local media reported.

They had petitioned the court to be sent back to Somalia to face legal proceedings there.

India's navy has been deployed off Somalia since 2008 and stepped up anti-piracy efforts in 2023 following a surge in attacks, including in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea.