A Christian lawyer defends a Somali Muslim accused of piracy

When is a pirate not a pirate?  That’s the question posed in a November 2013 article in the LA Times about the arrest and trial of Ali Mohamed Ali, an accused Somali pirate.  Mr. Ali, as he’s known, was recruited by Somali pirates to negotiate the payment of a ransom and the release of hostages when the cargo vessel CEC Future was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden in 2008.  After successfully serving as a mediator, Mr. Ali was lured into the US by US authorities with a bogus invitation to attend an education conference, and arrested and detained for 30 months leading up to his 2013 trial.   What makes the case even more fascinating is that Mr. Ali, a Muslim, was represented pro bono by Matt Peed, a Christian attorney from Clinton Brook & Peed in Washington, DC.  Matt joins us to talk about the case and share insights he gained over three years defending Mr. Ali.