Garowe (PP News Desk) — A military court in Puntland State of Somalia yesterday sentenced Mohamed Yaqub Siyad to 10 years in prison. Yaqub, a prominent YouTuber, was accused of disseminating propaganda in support of the ISIS terror group, whose hideouts in the Calmiskaad mountain range are now being targeted by Puntland State defence forces. The charge against Yaqub pertains to a video in which he allegedly supported ISIS suicide bombers.
At the court, Yaqub’s lawyer argued for leniency based on diminished responsibility. “Yaqub suffers from mental illness. He exhibits symptoms of a person living with mental illness, such as impulsiveness. He has also used bad language online against the traditional leaders of his sub-clan” said the lawyer. The lawyer did not provide medical evidence of a diagnosis of mental illness regarding his client.
Yaqub, who lives in Germany, has commented on the sentencing. “I am going to visit Garowe” Yaqub said in a YouTube message posted on his channel. Yaqub has not refuted the defence submitted by the lawyer on his behalf.
© Puntland Post, 2025
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