Hefty prison in Belgium for pirate leader

bruges - The 58-year-old Somali pirate leader Mohamed Abdi Hassan have twenty years the Belgian cell in the hijacking of the Belgian ship Pompei. The court in Bruges convicted Monday the man on departure, for the hijacking and torture.

Abdi Hassan is one of the most notorious and powerful pirate leaders of the Indian Ocean. He would have earned a lot of ransom.

The court considers it proven that he was in charge of the hijacking of Pompeii. The ship and its crew were taken hostage in 2009, 70 days. The vessel was released only after the owner had paid 2 million ransom.

A companion, Somali Mohamed Moalin-Aden was acquitted for the hijacking or complicity. But he got five years in prison for his role in the criminal organization.

The Belgian authorities were able to lure the two to Belgium in 2013 with a fake movie project about the pirate life. Then put the two foot on Belgian soil, they were arrested.

Draws the pirate king protest against his conviction, the process should be conducted again.