Al Shabaab stones Somali woman to death, accuse her of having multiple husbands

Somalia’s al Shabaab insurgents stoned to death on Wednesday a woman it accused of having multiple husbands, residents of a town in the south of the country said.

Residents of Sablale town in Lower Shabelle region gathered to witness the stoning of the woman, Shukri Abdullahi, 30, who allegedly had 11 husbands.

“Shukri Abdullahi and nine husbands, including her legal husband, were brought at the court, each saying she was his wife,” Mohamed Abu Usama, al Shabaab’s governor for the Lower Shabelle region, told Reuters.

Al Shabaab is fighting to impose its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law in Somalia. Courts set up by the militants do not allow legal representation or appeals.

Its members have handed out brutal punishments for religious infractions, including hacking limbs for alleged thieves.

Stoning suspected adulterers in one such punishment; the accused is buried neck-deep and then killed by rocks thrown by a crowd. Both men and women have been stoned.

REUTERS