Indian Court Gives Life Imprisonment To 35 Somali Pirates In MV Ruen Hijacking Case

A Special Court In Mumbai gave a life imprisonment verdict to the 44 Somali Pirates in two different judgments.

The pirates pleaded guilty to the charges after they were arrested in anti-piracy operations by the Indian Armed Forces in 2024.

35 of them were tried for hijacking the Maltese ship MV Ruen, and the remaining 9 were sentenced for hijacking the Iranian fishing vessel Al-Kambar 786.

All the accused were present in court, and on July 6, 34 pirates involved in the MV Ruen case signed a written plea where they admitted being guilty of the crime.

They also wrote that they faced hardships during the 2 years of judicial custody due to linguistic, dietary and cultural barriers and also the absence of any form of support.

The pirates also mentioned that charges against them had been framed on May 13, 2026, after considerable delays.

After having understood all the charges against them, they voluntarily pleaded guilty without any coercion or pressure, despite knowing that the offences could lead to maximum punishment.

However, they requested the court to be lenient in its decision, saying they come from poor families and from an allied country.

They also pleaded for a minimum possible sentence, with any possible diplomatic arrangements between Somalia and India.

A similar plea was put forward by the 9 accused in the Al-Kambar 786 hijacking case, who were arrested in 2024.

The proceedings began after submissions by Special Public Prosecutor Ranjit Sangle.

Charges against them were pressed under the Indian Penal Code, Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Passport Act, and Foreigners Act.

These were explained to one of the accused named Li Jama in English, who then explained it to the others, ensuring they understood the proceedings and the charges against them clearly.