​Somalia: Higher Court sentences death, life imprisonment to cleric's killers

BAIDOA, Somalia- The High Court of Somali military has turned down appeal by al-Shabaab assassins convicted of killing a known cleric in the southern town of Baidoa in last June, Garowe Online reports.

The Court upheld an earlier ruling which found guilty Mohamed Aden Ali "Borow", Samow Ali Aden and Hassan Abdullahi Ibrahim, for killing Sheikh Aden Madeer at a Mosque in Baidoa town during the holy month of Ramadan.

Col Liban Ali Yarow, the chairman of the High Military Tribunal has announced the verdict.

"Having heard from the appellant and the state prosecutor, I hereby agree with the first degree court that these three men were guilty of killing Sheikh Madeer in June," Military Higher Court Judge said in his ruling.

According to a statement released by the Court, Barow has been sentenced to death penalty, while the other two accomplices given life imprisonment sentences for involvement in the assassination.

The First Degree Court found the al-Shabaab members guilty in June, but the defendants appealed the ruling. The death penalty against the convicted Barow will be executed soon, said the judge.

Relatives of the slain cleric have welcome the Court's decision against the three militants, who shot dead Sheikh Madeer outside Warish mosque in Baidoa, after Tarawih prayers in last Ramadan.

GAROWEONLINE