Malaysian prosecutors¹ have filed charges against seven Somali men and boys accused of being pirates.

马来西亚检察官对七名索马里男子提起诉讼，他们被指控做过海盗。

The seven men were captured by the Malaysian navy
They were captured by the Malaysian navy last month as they tried to hijack² a chemical tanker³ in the Gulf⁴ of Aden.

All seven are accused of using firearms against the Malaysian armed forces - a charge which carries the death sentence.

But prosecutors said three 15-year-old suspects would not face execution because they were too young.

The Somalis appeared in court on Friday in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, handcuffed（手铐） and wearing orange prison overalls⁵（工装裤） .

They heard the charges read against them but did not enter a plea.

The seven are accused of trying to hijack the MT Bunga Laurel, a chemical tanker, on 20 January.

Malaysian troops stormed the ship and rescued the 23-strong crew.

The vessel⁶ was operated by a Malaysian company but was owned by a Japanese firm, had a Filipino crew and its cargo⁷ was bound for Singapore.

The Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia, is one of the world's busiest shipping⁸ routes and has become a hotspot for pirate attacks.