Somali teenager denies piracy charges in US
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.new york A Somali teenager accused of leading a pirate attack on an American cargo ship off Africa pleaded not guilty to piracy charges yesterday.
A sombre-looking Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse entered the plea in a soft voice with his head down during a brief appearance in a Manhattan court. Afterwards, his lawyers said Mr Muse has been kept in solitary confinement since being captured and brought to the United States last month. They continued to deny the US government's claim that their client is 18.
"He's a boy who fishes and now he's ended up in solitary confinement," said one of the lawyers, Deirdre von Dornum. "It's truly terrifying."
Mr Muse's age has been in dispute since his arrest. His family have said he is as young as 15, but a judge concluded that he could be tried as an adult since there was evidence that he was 18.
Authorities say that Mr Muse was the only surviving pirate among a group that attacked the US-flagged Maersk Alabama on 8 April.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments