Kenyan court frees 17 suspected Somali pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan court on Friday freed 17 Somali men detained by the U.S. Navy at sea and accused of piracy, saying the Navy didn't provide the necessary evidence to convict the suspects.

The decision has left authorities in a dilemma over what to do with the Somali men since the court did not order them repatriated back to their country, the men's lawyer said.

Attorney Jared Magolo said a magistrate's court in the coastal town of Mombasa ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the Somali men attacked the MV Amira, an Egyptian-flagged ship, in May 2009.

Magolo said the magistrate blamed the loss of the case on the U.S. Navy, who captured …