10 Alleged Somali Pirates Go on Trial in Germany

Ten Somalis are going on trial in Hamburg on piracy charges for allegedly hijacking a German container ship earlier this year.

The men face a possible 15 years in prison if convicted in the Hamburg state court on charges of attacking maritime traffic and kidnapping.

Prosecutors were unable to determine the ages of three of the men, so the trial is opening Monday in a youth court for all suspects.

The men were captured aboard the MV Taipan in the Gulf of Aden on April 5 by Dutch marines. The 15 crew members locked themselves into a secure area of the ship and were rescued unharmed.

The suspected pirates were extradited from the Netherlands to Germany in June. It is the first piracy trial in Hamburg since the Middle Ages.