Somalian woman stoned to death for polygamy

Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group based in Somalia, stoned a woman accused engaging in polygamy to death on Wednesday, the group's radio arm, Andalus, reported.

A court in the Sablale district of the Lower Shabelle region — run by the militant group — convicted Shukri Abdullahi, 30, of marrying 11 men in a row without divorcing any of them. The self-proclaimed judge said the woman had confessed to the polygamy accusations.

Read more: Life in Somalia under peacekeepers and al- Shabaab threats

With local residents bearing witness, she was buried up to her neck in a public square before masked Al-Shabaab fighters pelted her with stones.

Affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, Al-Shabaab is seeking to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, fighting to impose its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law. The courts it has set up do not allow legal representation or appeals.

The militants often execute suspected spies and accused adulterers, with stoning being one such form of execution. Both men and women have been victims of such stonings.

Polygamy is more common among men in Somalia, who can marry up to four wives. However, women have on occasion taken a second husband without an official divorce, often for economic reasons.

dv/rc (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)