A French court has jailed five Somali men for between four and eight years for hijacking¹ a yacht and taking a French couple hostage.

法国一家法院判处五名索马里男子四至八年监禁，他们曾劫持了一艘游艇并劫持了一对法国夫妇。

The incident took place in the Gulf² of Aden in September 2008.

A French navy team raided the vessel³, Carre d'As, two weeks later, killing⁴ one captor and detaining the others.

A sixth man was acquitted⁵（释放，无罪） . It is France's first prosecution⁶ of suspected Somali pirates.

The prosecutors⁷ had asked for the men, now aged⁸ between 21 and 36, to be sent to jail for between six and 16 years.

They were charged with hijacking, kidnapping and armed robbery after seizing the boat and its crew.

They were accused of attacking the Carre d'As on 2 September 2008 and demanding a ransom⁹ of $2m (£1.3m; 1.5m euros) for the release of French couple Jean-Yves and Bernadette Delanne, both aged 60.

Leniency¹⁰ urged

A lawyer for one of the defendants¹¹ said his client was a fisherman who had been forced to take part in the attack because he was a seafarer（船员，航海家） .

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

Defence lawyers urged the court to show leniency, saying sentences of up to 16 years were disproportionate to the crime, as the Somalis did not have "blood on their hands".

"This is the first time since the 18th century that this country has judged a case of piracy¹²," defence lawyer Cedric Alepee said, noting that the accused did not have "wooden legs, parrots on their shoulders or eye patches".

The case was heard in a Paris court for minors¹⁴ because one of the defendants was a minor¹³ at the time of the attack.

As the trial came to a close, the defendants apologised to and exchange handshakes with the Delannes. One wished them long lives, while another asked for their forgiveness.

"Good luck," Bernadette Delanne said.

Jean-Yves Delanne, who is known by the nickname Captain Haddock for his salty sea-dog appearance, said he thought justice had been done.

"I hope piracy is stamped out," he said, "but this isn't going to change the way things are. The West should do more to help."

Somali suspects in three other French piracy cases are awaiting trial. Six men will go to court next May, charged in connection with the April 2008 hijacking of the luxury yacht, Le Ponant, and holding its crew of 30 hostage.

The International Maritime¹⁵ 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.