The Somali pirates involved in hijacking the Russian Moscow University tanker will be sent to Moscow for proceedings, a Russian Investigative Committee spokesman said on Thursday.
"The investigation [committee] has begun measures to send the detained pirates to Moscow for investigations and launch proceedings under Russian law and international legal norms," Vladimir Markin said.
The Moscow University tanker with 23 Russian crewmembers and 86,000 tons of oil was hijacked near the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates on Wednesday around 8.00 a.m. Moscow time [04:00 GMT], when it was on its way from the Red Sea to China. The pirates attacked the Russian vessel 350 miles east of the Gulf of Aden.
Markin said some of the 10 detained pirates were injured. One pirate was killed during the assault operation held by Russian commandos from the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov that freed the tanker from the hijackers.
None of the Russian crewmembers on board the tanker were injured during the vessel's release.
MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti)
