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Somali Men Sentenced for Journalist Kidnapping
Two Somali men received 30-year sentences for kidnapping an American journalist in 2012.
English
United States
JusticeHuman Rights ViolationsUs PoliticsAfricaCrimeSomaliaHostagePiracy
Somali GovernmentU.s. Attorney’s OfficeUn
Abdi Yusuf HassanMohamed Tahlil MohamedMichael Scott MooreDamian WilliamsSusan G. Kellman
- What is the current status of piracy off the coast of Somalia?
- Piracy remains a threat off the coast of Somalia, although there has been a decline in hijackings and armed robberies since 2011, according to a UN report.
- What arguments did the defense attorney make for Mohamed's case?
- Mohamed's attorney argued that his life reflected Somalia's turmoil and that he was kinder to Moore than other captors, providing information for Moore's book about his ordeal.
- What were the sentences given to the two Somali men convicted in the kidnapping?
- Abdi Yusuf Hassan and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed, two Somali men with government positions, were sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2012 kidnapping of American journalist Michael Scott Moore.
- How long was Michael Scott Moore held hostage, and how was he eventually released?
- Moore was held hostage for 977 days after being ambushed by pirates who demanded a ransom; his family paid $1.6 million for his release in 2014.
- What roles did the two convicted men have in Somalia's government and the pirate group?
- Hassan, a naturalized U.S. citizen and Somalia's interior minister, was the head of the pirate group, while Mohamed, a Somali army officer, served as head of security and armorer.