He did not hand down the death Sentences. Maxamad Siyad Barre AH Sentence them to death. that is not in disbute as the Marxuumka was proud of what he did to them and expressed it in many speeches calling them wadaad xume who were trying to use ayado lanasaqay( obsoleted quran) on people. If he would refuse to follow instruction, he would have gone with them. That is what I heard, I was not born that time. Allah aclam.
The President declared that those who question Xeerka Qoyska must know that they are law breakers, despite their use of the slogan “Allahu Akbar”. He said the new family law (Xeerka Qoyska) was the culmination of long struggle for equal inheritance right. The President also underlined that “Somali woman was a major pillar in our old and contemporary struggle. Without her, it was impossible for Somalia to become free.”
In short, the government viewed this protest against equal rights decree for women as an act that incites subversion of State power and causes national disunity.
On January 23, 1975, ten sheikhs were executed in Mogadishu by a firing squad. Their crime was speaking and involving in religious protests against the new family law. The ten men were:
1. Ali Hassan Warsame
2. Ali Jama Hersi
3. Adan Ali Hersi
4. Sheikh Ahmed Iman
5. Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed
6. Hasan Issa Iley
7. Mohamed Siyaad Hersi
8. Sheikh Muse Yusuf
9. Saleeban Jama Mohamed
10. Yasin Elmi Awl
http://biyokulule.com/Xeerka_Qoyska.htm