Somali pirate suspect a man
2009-11-02 17:13
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Madrid - A suspected Somali pirate held in Spain over the seizure of a Spanish tuna trawler must be tried as an adult after medical tests removed doubts over his age, a court ruled on Monday.
A judge last month ordered the man, Abdu Willy, placed in a detention centre for minors after deciding that he may be under 18 years of age.
But following medical tests to determine his age, the National Court in Madrid on Monday ruled that he must be tried as an adult, according to a text of its ruling.
Willy and another suspected Somali pirate, who is 31, are believed to have played a role in the seizure of the Spanish trawler Alakrana on October 2 in the Indian Ocean.
They were detained two days later by a Spanish frigate as they left the ship in a skiff and brought to Spain.
The Alakrana is currently being held off Somalia while Spanish negotiators are trying to obtain the release of its 36-member crew, who include 16 Spaniards, as well as Asians and Africans.
The pirates are demanding $4m for the release of the ship and its crew as well as the liberation of the two suspected pirates being held in Spain.
- SAPA