Five Somali pirates who hijacked the South Korean freighter, “Samho Jewelry,” earlier this year will go on trial beginning Monday.
The Busan District Court said the trial will on Tuesday hear the testimony of four sailors that were on the freighter. There will also be a cross examination of one of the five captured Somali pirates who refused a jury trial.
On Wednesday, witnesses’ testimony will continue from the other four pirates and the professor at Ajou University Hospital Lee Kuk-jong, who treated the wounded Captain Seok Hae-kyun.
The court also said that Mahomed Arai, who is suspected of having shot Captain Seok multiple times, will be cross-examined on Thursday. The trial will wrap up Friday and the jury is expected to issue a verdict after closed discussions.
Seok was seriously injured during the South Korean military’s operation to free the Samho Jewelry on January 21st in the Arabian Sea after the ship was seized by pirates on January 15th. The ship was saved, as were the 21 crew members who were being held hostage. Eight pirates were killed with five captured alive.