Six men have gone on trial in Paris over an attack on a yacht in September 2008, in the first French prosecution¹ of suspected Somali pirates.

六名曾在2008年9月攻击一艘游艇的男子在巴黎受审，这是法国首次对索马里海盗进行的起诉。

French forces have been pursuing Somali pirates for several years
They are charged with hijacking², kidnapping and armed robbery after allegedly seizing the boat and its crew, a married couple both aged³ 60.

French special forces stormed the yacht off Somalia, freeing the couple. A seventh suspected pirate was killed.

Defence lawyers say the suspects were forced to take part in the attack.

Pirates have seized scores of vessels⁴, mainly cargo⁵ ships, off Somalia.

The defendants⁶ in Paris, aged between 21 and 35, face life in prison if convicted.

They are accused of attacking the Carre d'As on 2 September 2008 and demanding a ransom⁷ of $2m (£1.3m; 1.5m euros) for the release of French couple Jean-Yves and Bernadette Delanne.

The yacht and its owners were freed by the French military two weeks later.

A lawyer for one of the defendants said the unnamed accused man was a fisherman who had been forced to take part in the attack because he was a seaman⁸.

Another lawyer said the organisers of the attack were still at large（未被捕的） .

Somali suspects in three other French piracy⁹ cases are currently awaiting trial.

The International Maritime¹⁰ Bureau has said that better policing and improved security have reduced successful hijackings by Somali pirates this year.

Nevertheless, attacks linked to Somalia made up more than half the piracy incidents reported worldwide.

A US study found that maritime（海事的） piracy costs the global economy $7bn-12bn a year.