SOMALIA: PUNTLAND COURT SENTENCES AL-SHABAAB SPY TO DEATH, THREE OTHERS TO LONG PRISON TERMS

September 11, 2024:

A military court in Puntland has confirmed the death sentence of 50-year-old Abdisalan Salad Shuaib, who was convicted of spying for the militant group Al-Shabaab, Hiiran On Line reported August 13, 2024.
Shuaib’s actions directly led to the deaths of at least four individuals in Galkayo, including a regional official from Somalia’s Federal Immigration and Citizenship Agency, a respected elder, and a well-known businessman.
Despite his lawyer’s argument that Shuaib acted under duress due to threats from Al-Shabaab, the court ruled that this did not mitigate the severity of his crimes. The death sentence, initially handed down in September of last year, was upheld after a careful review of the case.
In the same ruling, the court sentenced three other individuals for their involvement with Al-Shabaab. Abukar Sheikh Mohamud was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Mohamed Deeq Salad Abdi received 20 years, and Ismail Daoud Jirow was handed a 30-year prison term.
These sentences were issued after several Al-Shabaab prisoners, who had been sentenced to death by firing squad, managed to escape from a prison in Galkayo last week. While some inmates were recaptured, three others remain at large.