In a rare use of the death penalty, a Somali woman has been executed by firing squad on Tuesday for killing her 14-year-old house help in Galkayo, a city in the semi‑autonomous region of Puntland late last year.
The woman identified as 34-7ear-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was earlier found guilty of beating Saabirin Saylaan her maid to death last November.
Videos of some of the beatings Hodan inflicted on Saylaan had been leaked to the public before the case was heard by an Islamic court.
”I am enjoying your pain” Hodan is heard in one of the gruesome videos telling a badly beaten Saylaan.
A post mortem carried out on the victim’s corpse revealed marks of serious torture.
The Islamic “qisas” legal principle was applied in Hodan’s case which meant granting the victim;s family’s wish for the convict to be executed instead of paying compensation to the aggrieved.
The chairman of the court Mohamed Abdulsalam described Hodan’s fate as retributive justice for Saylaan’s killing.
Hodan’s husband Abdicaziiz Hashi Nur, was found guilty as an accomplice and sentenced to one year in prison and a $500 fine.
Hodan’s lawyer had failed to convince the judges that his client had suffered from mental illness at the time of Saylaan’s mistreatment.
The last reported execution of a woman took place in 2013 when several al-Shabaab collaborators faced the hangman over the killing of a regional authority.
Saylaan’s death had sparked debate across Somalia over the abuse of children, a tendency which goes underreported or not reported at all.
WN/as/APA