Christopher Leggett killing: Mauritania death penalty

A Mauritanian court has sentenced an alleged member of al-Qaeda's North African branch to death for the 2009 killing of a US man in the capital, Nouakchott. Christopher Leggett, 39, was shot dead near the English and computer school which he headed. Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Ahmednah was given the death penalty for murder while two accomplices were jailed for three and 12 years for complicity. All three had denied the charges. The AFP news agency reports that the defence says it will lodge an appeal. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has said it carried out the killing and accused Mr Leggett of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. The group emerged out of Algerian Islamist fighters and now operates in several north-west African countries. Source: BBC < Prev   Next >