US court charges 3 Somali pirates with murder

Three accused Somali pirates were charged in a US court with the murder, kidnapping and hostage-taking of two American couples in February and could face the death penalty if convicted. A federal grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, handed up the indictment against Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar over the pirating of a yacht off the coast of Somalia in February and the murder of the four Americans on board. The three Somalis were among 14 men brought to the United States and charged in March with piracy, conspiracy and other offenses. The other 11 defendants all pleaded guilty. The new, more serious charges against the three defendants were contained in a superseding indictment. Twenty-two of the 26 counts carry a possible death sentence.