NEW YORK — Prosecutors say Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse was not shy about making his presence known on the Maersk Alabama, brazenly tearing through the ship in a way that belied his young age and 5-foot-2 frame.
He was the first to board the ship, fired a shot at the captain, helped steal $30,000 in cash and bragged about hijacking ships in the past, according to a complaint by FBI agent Steven E. Sorrells.
Authorities say swagger the 18-year-old displayed on the ship had evaporated by the time he entered a federal courtroom Tuesday to face a piracy charge that carries a mandatory life prison sentence.
On Wednesday, his mother, Adar Abdirahman Hassan, reiterated that her son is 16.
"I plead with the American judges not to commit an injustice against Abdiwali and hand down an unfair verdict on my son,” she said from her home in Galkayo, Somalia.
"The last time I saw him, he was in his school uniform,” said Hassan, 40. "He was brainwashed. People who are older than him outwitted him.”
His defense lawyers believe he is 15 years old and should be given greater protections under international law because of his age and the circumstances of his situation.
Muse’s age was called into question by differing accounts, but the judge who heard arguments about the issue ruled Tuesday that he can be tried as an adult. The government says he’s 18.
by the associated press
He was the first to board the ship, fired a shot at the captain, helped steal $30,000 in cash and bragged about hijacking ships in the past, according to a complaint by FBI agent Steven E. Sorrells.
Authorities say swagger the 18-year-old displayed on the ship had evaporated by the time he entered a federal courtroom Tuesday to face a piracy charge that carries a mandatory life prison sentence.
On Wednesday, his mother, Adar Abdirahman Hassan, reiterated that her son is 16.
"I plead with the American judges not to commit an injustice against Abdiwali and hand down an unfair verdict on my son,” she said from her home in Galkayo, Somalia.
"The last time I saw him, he was in his school uniform,” said Hassan, 40. "He was brainwashed. People who are older than him outwitted him.”
His defense lawyers believe he is 15 years old and should be given greater protections under international law because of his age and the circumstances of his situation.
Muse’s age was called into question by differing accounts, but the judge who heard arguments about the issue ruled Tuesday that he can be tried as an adult. The government says he’s 18.
by the associated press
