sentences

British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage, family says; UK condemns verdict A British couple detained in Iran since January 2025 have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage, their family said, drawing swift condemnation from the U.K. government and intensifying scrutiny of Tehran’s treatment of Western detainees. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their 50s, were arrested while traveling through Iran on an around-the-world motorcycle journey, relatives said. They have consistently denied spying.…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — A district court in Hargeisa on Tuesday sentenced musician Mubaarik Ahmed Yusuf, known professionally as Mubaarik Oktoober, to one year and four months in prison after finding him guilty of assault and bodily harm against his wife, fellow singer Farhiya Ahmed Addaawe Geedi, widely known as Farhiya Fiska. In a written ruling dated Feb. 17, 2026, the Hargeisa District Court convicted Mubaarik under Article 440(1) of the Penal Code, which covers offenses causing bodily injury. The…

‘I have nowhere to turn’: In Somalia, unpaid debts can mean years behind bars — and a grassroots effort to buy back freedom When Abdifatah Mohamed Dhaqane walked out of Mogadishu Central Prison in October after three and a half years behind bars, there were no charges to clear and no sentence to complete. His freedom depended on a single number: $590 — the debt he failed to repay after robbers snatched seven phones from his small mobile trade in June 2022. A court in Afgoye had ruled in favor of his suppliers and ordered him…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali court has sentenced a woman to six years in prison for financing the militant group Al-Shabaab, part of a broader government push to sever the insurgents’ money networks. In a separate overnight raid, security forces said they killed a senior Al-Shabaab commander in the central Galgaduud region. Key developments: Maryan Mohamed Nur was sentenced to six years after the court found she had direct links to Al-Shabaab and helped move funds to the group, prosecutors said. Investigators…

Zambian court jails two for using “witchcraft” to target president — a case that cuts across law, belief and politics A Zambian magistrate has sentenced two men to two years in prison for what prosecutors described as an attempt to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema — a verdict that raises awkward questions about how state institutions confront age‑old beliefs when they intersect with contemporary politics. The ruling Magistrate Fine Mayambu on Tuesday handed down the custodial sentences to Leonard Phiri,…

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…

Al-Shabaab Financiers Receive Sentences in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - In a pivotal move against violent extremism, a Somali court handed down sentences to several sympathizers of Al-Shabaab after a prolonged trial. This legal victory marks a significant step in Somalia's ongoing battle to quell the terrorist insurgency that has plagued the nation for more than ten years. The Banadir Regional Court announced the sentences on Monday, convicting four individuals after substantial evidence demonstrated their involvement with…

A Tokyo court on Monday sentenced US Army veteran Michael Taylor to two years in prison and his son to one year and eight months for helping former Nissan Motor Co Ltd chairman Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan, where he had been jailed. allegations of financial misconduct. Michael Taylor and his son Peter pleaded guilty and…

Justice didn't withdraw the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the clashes on Thursday, Might 12, in Kinshasa in reference to the tip of Ramadan towards the background of rivalries at the pinnacle of the Congolese Muslim group. Conflicts between members of this society after which with components of the police intervened. About thirty individuals have been arrested and introduced earlier than…