Another Appeal by Rochester Women Convicted of Terrorism Charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two Rochester women who were convicted of conspiring to funnel money to a Somali terror group are seeking a rehearing after losing their first appeal.

Thirty-nine-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 68-year-old Hawo Mohamed Hassan were convicted in 2011 on counts that included conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors told jurors the women were part of a "deadly pipeline" that routed money and fighters to al-Shabab. Ali was sentenced to 20 years in prison while Hassan drew 10 years.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld their convictions and sentences last month. On Tuesday, the two women petitioned for a rehearing before the full appeals court.

Defense attorneys pain the women as humanitarians who gave money to orphans and the poor.