lesbians sentenced to death in somalia

February 20, 2000: Two lesbians who passed themselves off as husband and wife have been sentenced to death, Agence France Presse reported.

According to the Qaran daily newspaper the two lesbians were found guilty Monday of 'exercising unnatural behavior' by a court in Somalia's northeast port city of Bossasso, part of Puntland, a region that declared itself autonomous in August 1998. The pair were tried under Somali Criminal Punishment Law, which is loosely based on Islamic Sharia law.

Capital sentences have rarely been carried out in Puntland. When they are, a firing squad is used. According to the newspaper, one of the women returned from the USA and began living with the other. The case came to light when this second woman went to the police to report mistreatment by the other.

According to the Qaran she said she had become sick and that the other woman had refused to pay for medical treatment. On hearing the details of the situation, the police also arrested both women and handed them over to the court. Both women are in Bossasso jail to await execution.