Two Somali Men Receive 30-Year Sentences for Abducting and Detaining American Journalist
Back in January 2012, German-American journalist Michael Scott Moore found himself in dire straits when he was kidnapped in Galkayo, Somalia. That’s quite a ways, roughly 400 miles, northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, huh? It’s a wild world we live in. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fast forward to today, two Somali fellows—prosecutor lingo for pirates—got slapped with 30-year prison sentences. Who are these dudes, you ask? Well, they played starring roles in the dramatic 2012 abduction of Moore, and he wasn’t lounging in luxury hotels during the ordeal, that’s for sure.
Meet Abdi Yusuf Hassan and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed. These gents weren’t just random guys off the street; they had some sway in Somali government circles. According to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, they were “key players” in this nasty drama involving Moore.
Picture this: Moore lands in Somalia to dig into some heavyweight issues like piracy. But bang! On Jan. 21, 2012, his trip takes a nosedive when heavily-armed men with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades seize his ride and make him their prisoner. The news came straight from the officials’ mouths.
There he was, stuck, for a jaw-dropping 977 days while his captors demanded a ransom like swashbuckling pirates. He even found himself on a commandeered ship, sharing space with a freezer storing the body of a deceased captain. It’s tragic enough to make a grown man cry.
Here’s an eyebrow-raiser: Hassan, a U.S. naturalized citizen, was moonlighting as Somalia’s interior minister while heading up a band of pirates, according to those eagle-eyed prosecutors. Meanwhile, Mohamed was pulling double duty too—as a Somali army officer and head of pirate security and armory. Quite the career choices, eh?
Moore eventually walked free in September 2014. No phoenix rising from the ashes, but a family scraping together $1.6 million does make for a riveting tale. The Associated Press shared details following the February 2023 federal jury conviction of Hassan and Mohamed.
In a statement bursting with empathy, Williams remarked, “Michael Scott Moore languished in captivity in Somalia, threatened by the cold steel of assault rifles and the clanky menace of machine guns. Hassan and Mohamed bore a heavy burden of responsibility for this ordeal.” And there you have it, a criminal minimum that’s anything but cuddly: 30 years behind bars.
Susan G. Kellman, Mohamed’s attorney, contended in a court filing about “the mind-boggling turbulence and chaos marking Mohamed’s journey through life in Somalia.” Moore even vouched for Mohamed, recounting how he showed him kindness by not roughing him up, unlike his other captors. This man’s story is all jumbled up in shades of grey. For Moore’s book, Mohamed later handed over photos, dredging up memories of those chilling days.
Via email, Kellman lamented on Tuesday, “It’s a crying shame how these mandatory minimums turn justice into a hammer rather than a scalpel.” Needless to say, an appeal is in the works.
The prosecution aimed high, demanding 30 years for Mohamed and seeking a heftier 35 years for Hassan. Despite acknowledging trial testimony portraying Mohamed as a “gentle” soul, they minced no words. Writing in a stern fashion, they described the duo’s deeds as nothing short of “abhorrent.”
Attempts to contact Hassan’s legal counsel met with silence. Silence often speaks louder than words, doesn’t it?
And so, piracy still stalks the waters off Somalia like an insidious phantom. Yet, according to a 2021 United Nations report, there’s a silver lining in the dark clouds. Despite its enduring threat, there’s been noticeable progress: hijackings and violent robberies have declined since 2011.
While the sea’s siren call lures many, it seems some heed a nobler path.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
