A former journalist who joined
the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab was executed in Somalia’s capital for the
killings of five Somali journalists.
Hassan Hanafi Haji, who was
extradited from Kenya last year on the request of the Somali government, was
killed by firing squad at a police academy in Mogadishu on Monday.
Firing squad is the only
execution method in Somalia. In his role as a liaison officer with al-Shabab,
Haji was known to threaten journalists and radio stations for any reporting not
in favour of the Islamic extremist rebels, forcing many media outlets to
practice self-censorship for security reasons.
He often urged journalists to
report according to al-Shabab’s media rules, which included avoiding stories
related to the group’s military setbacks.