Kenya finds two Iranians guilty of planning attacks
NAIROBI | Thu May 2, 2013 7:09am EDT
(Reuters) - A Kenyan court on Thursday found two Iranian men guilty of possessing 15kg (33 pounds) of explosives and planning to carry out bombings in Kenyan cities.
Ahmad Mohammed and Sayed Mousavi were arrested in Nairobi last June. Investigators said at the time it was unclear whether the pair had ties to al Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia or were part of another network.
"I must appreciate our Kenyan security personnel for detecting and taking swift action to stop the catastrophe and ensure our country was safe," Waweru Kiarie, Nairobi's chief magistrate, said after convicting the two men.
Kenya was hit by a spate of bombings and attacks last year, which the Nairobi government mostly blamed on the Somali al Shabaab rebels its forces were hunting down inside Somalia.
Mohammed and Mousavi were charged with being in possession of 15 kg of explosives and preparing to commit a felony.
They had both pleaded not guilty and will be sentenced on Monday. They face up to 15 years in prison, the prosecution said.
(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing By Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Richard Lough and Angus MacSwan)
