TALLINN, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - The suspected...

The Maltese-flagged vessel, which had been missing in the Atlantic for more than two weeks, was discovered off Cape Verde last Monday by the Russian warship, the Ladny. It was freed without a shot being fired.

Last Friday, Moscow"s Basmanny District Court remanded in custody eight unemployed residents of Estonia. All eight deny accusations of piracy and hostage-taking.

"I think they were framed, and it is not just my opinion, everybody who knows them also thinks so. They were seeking a job and got involved in a political conflict, were made hostages of a political game," Alexei Bartenev, the brother of suspect, Dmitry Bartenev, told Estonian television.

He gave no further details.

He also said the suspects should be tried in the European Union, where the alleged crime was committed.

Under international law, suspected pirates are tried in the country whose forces detained them. The men face up to 20 years in prison.