Six men were convicted Thursday by a Russian court for the 2009 hijacking of a freighter with a Russian crew that caused an international uproar.
Russian authorities said the Arctic Sea freighter was seized by pirates in the Baltic Sea after leaving Finland with a load of timber, but speculation persisted that it was carrying clandestine cargo, possibly surface-to-air missiles for Iran or Syria. Russian officials denied those claims.
The men received prison terms ranging from seven to 12 years, said a spokeswoman for the Arkhangelsk Region Court. Their lawyers said they would appeal. Two more hijackers were sentenced earlier by different courts.
(AP)
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