A South Korean captain who is being held by Somali pirates says his captors are demanding that the South Korean government pay them compensation for pirates killed by its navy. Captain Pak Hyeon contacted VOA by phone Friday, saying the pirates want Seoul to pay compensation for eight dead comrades and release another five held […]
Somali Pirates Demand Compensation from South Korea
Somali Pirates Demand Compensation from South Korea
A band of Somali pirates are demanding that the South Korean government pay them compensation for pirates killed by its navy. The pirates made its demand Friday to media outlets. As a bargaining chip, they are holding four South Korean hostages taken during the hijacking of the MV Gemini off the Kenyan coast several months […]
Pirate Attacks off Somalia Hit Record High
A maritime watchdog says the number of pirate attacks off Somalia’s coast rose to a record high during the first half of this year. The London-based International Maritime Bureau says the raids have also grown increasingly bold and violent. In a report released Thursday, the group said piracy worldwide jumped 36 percent the first half […]
Yemeni Man Pleads Guilty in Pirate Highjacking of Americans
A Yemeni man has pleaded guilty to piracy in a U.S. federal court for his role in the hijacking of a yacht in the Arabian Sea that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. On Thursday, Mounir Ali became the 11th person to plead guilty in the case. Ali told the court he had no […]
Indian Sailors Held by Pirates Return Home
Six Indian sailors freed after being held for nearly a year by Somali pirates have returned home. Family members met the sailors during an emotional reunion at the New Delhi airport Friday. Pirates freed the crew, which included 11 Egyptians, four Pakistanis and one Sri Lankan — after receiving a $2.1 million ransom, negotiated with […]
India to Charge 14 Somali Pirates
India police say they will soon charge 14 suspected Somali pirates found drifting off the country’s western coast. Officials say the Somalis were found on a fishing boat along with three Yemen nationals who are believed to be hostages of the suspected pirates. The 17 were detained Sunday in Gujarat state’s Junagarh district. The French […]
UN Mulls Piracy Courts
The United Nations is considering where to establish courts to try the more that 1,000 suspected pirates currently being held in 20 countries across the globe. The U.N.’s top legal advisor, Patricia O’Brien, told the Security Council on Tuesday that Somalia, with the most number of pirates in detention, prefers to have the establishment of […]
Somali Pirates Free German Cargo Ship
Officials say Somali pirates have freed a German cargo ship after receiving a multi-million dollar ransom. The MV Susan K and its crew of 10 had been held since April. Officials say it will now head to Djibouti. Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships in recent years and taken in hundreds of millions of […]
Somali Pirates Free German Cargo
Officials say Somali pirates have freed a German cargo ship after recieving a multi-million dollar ransom. The MV Susan K and its crew of 10 had been held since April. Officials say it will now head to Djibouti. Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships in recent years and taken in hundreds of millions of […]
Somali Pirates Free Egyptian Ship Held Since August
Somali pirates have released an Egyptian-owned cargo ship and its crew after receiving a ransom of more than two million dollars. The Panama-flagged MV Suez was seized in the Gulf of Aden more than 10 months ago while carrying a load of cement from Pakistan to Eritrea. The ship has a crew of 23 people, […]