Latest news with #alQaeda-linked
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kenyan court sentences two men to 30 years in prison for aiding 2019 hotel attack
Hussein Mohammed Abdile attends a court session where he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of aiding a 2019 attack by al Qaeda-linked militants at Dusit hotel that killed 21 people in 2019, at the Kahawa Law Courts, Nairobi, Kenya June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Mohamed Abdi Ali attends a court session where he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of aiding a 2019 attack by al Qaeda-linked militants at Dusit hotel that killed 21 people in 2019, at the Kahawa Law Courts, Nairobi, Kenya June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Kenyan court sentences two men to 30 years in prison for aiding 2019 hotel attack NAIROBI - A Kenyan court on Thursday sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for aiding a 2019 attack by militant members of the al Shabaab group on a hotel and office complex in Nairobi that killed 21 people. Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali were convicted in May on charges of facilitation and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism for helping the al Qaeda-linked Islamist group. They had pleaded not guilty. Al Shabaab regularly carries out attacks in Kenya to try to pressure the government to withdraw peacekeeping troops from Somalia, where al Shabaab is waging an insurgency to try to seize power. Prosecutors said Abdile and Ali helped two of the attackers obtain forged identity cards that allowed them to escape from a refugee camp and provided financial support. Abdile and Ali have 14 days to appeal their sentences. Delivering her ruling on Thursday, Judge Diana Mochache said that without their involvement, the attack may not have happened. "Without financiers, facilitators and sympathisers, terrorists cannot actualise their activities," Mochache said. In the January 2019 attack, several gunmen stormed the Dusit complex in Nairobi, triggering an assault and siege that lasted more than 12 hours. The Kenyan government said at the time that it had killed all the attackers. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Kenyan court sentences two men to 30 years in prison for aiding 2019 hotel attack
Mohamed Abdi Ali attends a court session where he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of aiding a 2019 attack by al Qaeda-linked militants at Dusit hotel that killed 21 people in 2019, at the Kahawa Law Courts, Nairobi, Kenya June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi NAIROBI (Reuters) -A Kenyan court on Thursday sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for aiding a 2019 attack by militant members of the al Shabaab group on a hotel and office complex in Nairobi that killed 21 people. Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali were convicted in May on charges of facilitation and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism for helping the al Qaeda-linked Islamist group. They had pleaded not guilty. Al Shabaab regularly carries out attacks in Kenya to try to pressure the government to withdraw peacekeeping troops from Somalia, where al Shabaab is waging an insurgency to try to seize power. Prosecutors said Abdile and Ali helped two of the attackers obtain forged identity cards that allowed them to escape from a refugee camp and provided financial support. Abdile and Ali have 14 days to appeal their sentences. Delivering her ruling on Thursday, Judge Diana Mochache said that without their involvement, the attack may not have happened. "Without financiers, facilitators and sympathisers, terrorists cannot actualise their activities," Mochache said. In the January 2019 attack, several gunmen stormed the Dusit complex in Nairobi, triggering an assault and siege that lasted more than 12 hours. The Kenyan government said at the time that it had killed all the attackers. (Reporting by Humphrey Malalo and Vincent Mumo; Writing by Elias Biryabarema and George Obulutsa; Editing by Alexander Winning and Ed Osmond)
New Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
SURABAYA: An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. "I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said.
The Star
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
Umar Patek, a 58-year-old former militant who helped assemble the one-tonne bomb that killed 202 people in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, carries a cup of coffee at a cafe in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Prasto Wardoyo SURABAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) -An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. 'I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said. Tumini, another survivor, said in Bali's capital Denpasar that she is still struggling to pay for her treatment and that government aid should be prioritised for victims still in recovery. (Additional reporting by Sultan Anshori in Denpasar; Writing by Stanley Widianto)
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
Umar Patek, a 58-year-old former militant who helped assemble the one-tonne bomb that killed 202 people in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, carries a cup of coffee at a cafe in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Prasto Wardoyo SURABAYA, Indonesia - An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. 'I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said. Tumini, another survivor, said in Bali's capital Denpasar that she is still struggling to pay for her treatment and that government aid should be prioritised for victims still in recovery. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
