Somali military court sentences two men to 15 years on spying charges

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Somali military court in Mogadishu has today handed down a 15-year sentence to two men accused of spying for al-Shabab.

According to the prosecutors, Ahmed Hassan Bariyow and Adan Mohamed Qoslaye joined the group in 2012 and 2020, and their role was to surveil the aftermath of militant attacks and killings spanning from Mogadishu to Elasha Biya.

Ahmed Hassan Bariyow, who worked with the group for a decade, was instrumental in recruiting Qoslaye to join the militants. According to the prosecutors, both individuals struggled with drug addiction.

Government intelligence agencies have previously indicated that al-Shabab exploits people grappling with substance abuse, capitalizing on their vulnerable circumstances.