Pompei Vessel Reviews and Specifications

In a significant legal development, a Belgian court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to Mohamed Abdi Hassan, notorious for his role as a Somali pirate kingpin during the height of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Hassan, who is infamously known as Afwayne, received this penalty for his involvement in the hijacking of the Belgian vessel Pompeii in 2009, off the coast of Somalia. Hassan's pirate career took a turn in January 2013 when he declared his retirement and shifted to advocacy against piracy. However, his past caught up with him later that year when he was enticed to Belgium, where he was apprehended upon arrival. The Bruges Criminal Court convicted him for crimes associated with the hijacking, where the ship's ten crew members endured over two months in captivity before a ransom exceeding $2 million was paid for their release. At the peak of Somali piracy in 2011, Hassan earned international notoriety; the United Nations even referred to him as 'one of the most notorious and influential leaders' in the pirate industry. Following his sentencing on Monday, reports suggest that Hassan plans to appeal the court's decision. Alongside him, another suspect apprehended in 2013 has been sentenced to five years in prison.

On the night of May 23, 2012, authorities transferred a Somali pirate apprehended in connection with the hijacking of the cargo vessel "Pompei," which was seized on April 28, to Belgium from the Seychelles. This transfer follows extensive negotiations after the ship was held captive for ten weeks. A ransom of approximately two million Euros was paid by the dredging company DEME along with two other owners to secure the release of the vessel and its crew, who endured 71 days in dire conditions. Belgium's judiciary has previously taken action against piracy, successfully bringing another pirate to trial. Abdiwahad Mohammed Omar, known as pirate 001, was identified by two crew members and received a ten-year prison sentence in June 2010 for his involvement in similar crimes.