The Federal High Court, Dire Dawa branch, Jigjiga Criminal Court Rotating Bench has sentenced 81 individuals accused of participating in terrorist activities as members of the Al-Shabaab militant group to prison terms of up to 20 years, according to state media reports.
The Ministry of Justice’s Organized and Trans-Border Crime Dire Dawa regional branch prosecutor charged the accused under Ethiopia’s Federal Criminal Code (2004) and the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Crimes Proclamation No. 1176/2020.
The charges included leading and participating in terrorist activities, as well as maintaining association with Al-Shabaab, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, since 2019.
The court heard evidence of the accused receiving training, engaging in jihadist warfare, and executing operations aligned with Al-Shabaab’s objectives in Afder and Shebelle zones of the Somali Regional State. These activities reportedly included attacks aimed at destabilizing public order and undermining state authority.
Prosecutors presented 57 eyewitness testimonies and 396 pages of documentary evidence, detailing the defendants’ roles in Al-Shabaab operations, including participation in the group’s activities during Ethiopia’s border clashes with Al-Shabaab militants in July 2022.
While the defendants lacked private legal representation and were assigned public defenders, the court found them guilty based on the presented evidence and their confessions. Eighteen individuals received the maximum sentence of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, while the remaining defendants received prison terms ranging from 12 to 18 years, reflecting their varying degrees of involvement.
