Somaliland: Two Al Shabab Members Bag Prison Sentences As Court Acquits 4 Intelligence Officers

Hargeisa, 14 Feb 2014 (SDN) –Hargeisa Regional Court has sentenced on Monday two men to various jail terms after they were convicted of being al-Shabaab members. According to the Hargeisa regional court officials, among the convicted members is an Al Shabab member who came from Mogadishu to attack foreign experts working with Somaliland intelligence Agency.

Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, a well-known basketball player was sentenced to five years in prison. Abdisamad Husein Abdi was sentenced to ten years in jail for planning an attack against western experts working with Somaliland’s Intelligence Agency.

Another four defendants who were members of Somaliland’s national intelligence agency were acquitted of terrorism charges and released.

Mr. Abdilfatah Ibrahim Ahmed – a journalist and brother of Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed told Reuters after the sentence “My brother was arrested on February 18/2013 after leaving my office at night. He was accused of supplying information to Abdisamad, about the movements of foreign experts working with the intelligence service. All 7 witness brought by the prosecution said that they have no evidence against him. This is an attempt to save face by the police.”

SDN Hargeisa