Mali Islamists cut off suspected thief's hand

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? A spokesman for an Islamist group in northern Mali says a man's hand has been chopped off as punishment for the theft of a motorbike, as hardliners tighten their grip over the vast territory in northwest Africa .

Adnan Abou Walid Saharaoui, spokesman for the jihadist group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJAO, said the amputation was carried out Wednesday in the village of Ansongo. Authorities had accused the man of stealing a motorcycle.

Mali's north was overrun by a mix of rebel groups including several allied with al-Qaida following a coup in Mali's capital in March.

Since June, Islamists have exerted full control of the northern half of the country and have imposed Shariah law. They recently stoned an adulterous couple to death.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-09-Mali-Islamists/id-0c8746f6247f4637afbe085e99377935

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