Somali pirate sentenced to 33 years in US prison

16 February 2011 Last updated at 17:57 GMT

Somali pirate sentenced to 33 years in US prison

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A Somali man who pleaded guilty to piracy has been sentenced in the US to more than 33 years in prison.

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse is the only survivor of the crew of pirates who attacked the Maersk Alabama merchant ship off Somalia's coast in April 2009.

He was captured by the US Navy, whose sharpshooters killed three other pirates trying to escape on a lifeboat with the Alabama's American captain.

Muse told the court he was "very sorry for what I did".

"I got my hands into something that was more powerful than me," Muse said through a translator.

Muse's lawyers had sought the 27-year minimum sentence

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