Arrested in 2011, ‘pirates’ pleaded guilty at a later stage of the trial.
Written by Sadaf Modak
OVER 100 alleged Somali pirates willing to plead guilty have said they will not cross examine witnesses nor appeal their sentence unless they are given the death penalty. All except one of the 119 Somali pirates — who have been booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and other charges including about 50 charged for murder — want to voluntarily accept guilt.
“The accused are ready to give an undertaking that if any witness is going to depose, they will not be cross-examined. The sentence given by the court will also not be appealed against unless it is the death penalty,” Singh argued. The accused have been lodged at Taloja prison since 2011 and are periodically produced in court through video-conferencing.
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Source: indianexpress.com
