The courtroom was filled with reporters, federal officials and others at the time. Muse held his face and appeared to start crying before witnesses to required to leave. The attorneys are hoping to get the suspect's father, who reportedly lives in Philadelphia, Penn., on the phone to help confirm his age. Peck sealed the Muse court proceeding and asked reporters and others to leave the courtroom while the question of his age, raised by his defense attorneys, was addressed. Now, Muse has been brought to face justice in an American courtroom," Dassin said.Įarlier Tuesday, U.S. Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse and his fellow pirates attacked an American crew and its American captain on a ship flying an American flag. "Today's charges demonstrate our commitment to hold pirates accountable for their crimes. Pirates target ships and cargo, but threaten international commerce and human life," said Acting United States Attorney Lev Dassin. "An act of piracy against one nation is a crime against all nations. The charge of piracy alone carries a mandatory life sentence in prison. Muse has been charged with five criminal counts including piracy under the law of nations, conspiracy to seize a ship by force, and conspiracy to commit hostage taking. "He's scared" said Weinstein, who added that his client had been blindfolded during his some of his time in custody, shackled and that "he'd never been out of Somalia". "We believe he will be exonerated," von Dornum said. When the judge informed Muse of his right to a court appointed lawyer he said "I understand, I have no money."ĭefense attorneys Deidre von Dorum and Philip Weinstein said that they had not yet established whether their client Muse was himself a hostage of other pirates and that if he were that it would change the circumstances, perhaps making him eligible for wartime conventions. At one point, Muse sobbed audibly, covered his face with his hand and was soothed by his court-appointed attorney. Muse appeared in a federal magistrate court in a navy blue prison uniform, standing barely 5'4" with his left hand wrapped in a white bandage where he was injured in the attack on the Maersk. There is still some confusion over the actual age of Abdulwali Muse, whose mother claims he is 16 years old, but whom the government believes to be older. flagged merchant ship Maersk Alabama sobbed in a Manhattan courtroom today where a judge determined that he will be tried as an adult. Ap- The surviving Somali pirate suspect from the attack on the U.S.
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