Russia says pirates who held oil tanker released

Russia says pirates who held tanker released

MOSCOW — A spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry says the pirates seized by a Russian warship off the coast of Somalia have been released because of “imperfections” in international law.

Authorities initially said the pirates would be brought to Russia to face criminal charges after hijacking a Russian oil tanker. But Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Alexei Kuznetsov told The Associated Press on Friday that the pirates have been released.

The pirates boarded the tanker Moscow University on Wednesday. They were seized Thursday after special forces from a Russian warship stormed the tanker.