United States v. Shibin
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
722 F.3d 233, 2013 AMC 1817 (2013)

- Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD
Facts
Mohammad Saaili Shibin (defendant) was a Somali national who was involved in two acts of piracy on the high seas against the international vessels Marida Marguerite and Quest. The Marida Marguerite, a German merchant ship, was taken by pirates and looted, and its crew members were captured and tortured. They and the vessel were later released after the shipowners paid a $5 million ransom. The Quest, an American sailing ship, was taken by pirates and intercepted by American naval vessels. The four Americans on the Quest were killed by the pirates as the naval vessels attempted to prevent the pirates from taking the Quest into Somali waters. Shibin was not physically involved in the initial acts of piracy that took place on the high seas but rather aided and abetted the piracies by serving as a negotiator for the pirates in their efforts to extract ransoms. Shibin was later captured by local authorities in Somalia and turned over to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, which brough Shibin to the United States (plaintiff) for prosecution. A federal jury convicted Shibin on all counts, including piracy, and he was sentenced to 12 terms of life imprisonment. Shibin appealed, alleging among other claims that he could not be convicted of piracy because he had not committed any actions on the high seas.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Niemeyer, J.)
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