Two Somali pirates were sentenced to 30 years each in prison for their roles in the nearly three-year hostage taking of an American journalist in Somalia.
Abdi Yusuf Hassan and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed were convicted by a jury in February 2023 in the Eastern District of New York for hostage taking, terrorism, and firearms offenses.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Allyne R. Ross, who also presided over the trial.
The case involved the 977-day hostage taking of Michael Scott Moore, an American freelance journalist who was held captive from January 2012 to September 2014.
Moore was beaten, chained to the floor, and threatened with assault rifles and machine guns by his captors, who were led by Hassan and Mohamed.
Hassan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, served as the Minister of the Interior in Galmudug province in Somalia, where Moore was held hostage.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said that the sentences demonstrate the government’s resolve to hold those who take Americans hostage accountable for their crimes.
Hassan and Mohamed each played significant roles in Moore’s captivity, including directing the production of proof-of-life videos and extorting a ransom from Moore’s aging mother.
The sentences were handed down on February 22, 2023, in the Eastern District of New York.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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