Publication Type:
- International Enforcement Actions
Weapon Program:
- Military
Mentioned Suspect Entities & Suppliers:
Related Country:
- Kenya
Two Iranian nationals were sentenced to life in prison in a Kenyan court on charges of preparing a terrorist attack against Western targets. The men, Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi, were arrested on June 19, 2012 and subsequently charged with possession of explosives, preparing to commit a felony, and intent to commit grievous harm. They are believed to have shipped more than 100 kg of the explosive RDX into Kenya, only 15 kg of which have been recovered by Kenyan officials. The Iranians are allegedly members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and were reportedly part of a network planning to bomb targets in Nairobi and the eastern port of Mombasa. The explosives may have been shipped from Iran aboard a vessel controlled by the Hafiz Darya Shipping Company, which is linked to Iran's national shipping company the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. Both men claim to be Iranian civil servants and pled not guilty to the charges.
Footnotes:
[1] Maureen Mudi, "Iran Ship with Explosives on Way to Kenya," AllAfrica.com, July 25, 2012.
[2] "Iranians on Trial in Kenya Deny Bomb Plot Charges," Reuters, July 23, 2012.
[3] "Kenya Police: Iranian Terror Suspects Shipped 100 kg of Explosive to Hit Western Targets," Associated Press via washingtonpost.com, July 10, 2012.
[4] “Iranians Jailed for Life in Kenya Over Terror Charges,” BBC News, May 6, 2013.