APPELLE AN

Präsident
HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
Office of the President
Villa Somalia, Mogadishu
SOMALIA
Email: info@presidency.gov.so
X: @HassanSMohamud

KOPIEN AN

Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Somalia
Rue de Monthoux 64
1201 Genf
SCHWEIZ
Fax: +41 22 731 84 12
E-Mail: Genevamission@mfa.gov.so / genevasomalia@gmail.com

ANMERKUNGEN

Amnesty fordert:

• Ich fordere Sie und Ihre Regierung auf, Sadia Moalim Ali unverzüglich und bedingungslos freizulassen, da sie nur wegen der friedlichen Ausübung ihrer Menschenrechte inhaftiert ist.
• Bis zu ihrer Freilassung fordere ich Sie und Ihre Regierung auf, dafür zu sorgen, dass sie unter Bedingungen festgehalten wird, die den internationalen Menschenrechtsstandards entsprechen, dass sie vor Folter und anderen Misshandlungen geschützt wird und dass sie unverzüglich und regelmäßig Zugang zu ihrer Familie, ihren Anwält*innen und einer angemessenen medizinischen Versorgung erhält.

INHALT

Dear President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,

I am concerned about the arbitrary detention of Sadia Moalim Ali (also known as “Sadia Bajaj”) who is being targeted by the Somali authorities for her activism – both on social media and in peaceful protests. 

Sadia Moalim Ali is a young tuk-tuk (rickshaw) driver and social activist who was arrested on 12 April in Hodan District, Mogadishu, the capital, by officers from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). She was initially detained at Hamar Jajab Police Station before being transferred to the Mogadishu Central Prison on 14 April, where she remains held. She had no access to a lawyer. Credible sources told Amnesty International that the police secured orders from the Banadir Regional Court allowing them to hold her for 90 days pending further investigations. According to a press release on Sadia’s case published by the Attorney General of Somalia, she is subject to a criminal case based on allegations of “defamation and incitement of the public”. The case was submitted by investigative authorities, has been jointly investigated by the AG’s Office, and has now been referred to the competent court. 

Sadia Moalim Ali is being targeted by the authorities solely in connection to the peaceful expression of her views online as she has used her social media platforms, including Facebook and TikToK, to publicly criticize the federal government, speaking out mostly against the alleged corruption in government, youth unemployment, nepotism by senior government officials, high taxation and high fuel prices. In one video she said that if any harm were to come to her, responsibility would lie with the President.

Since mid-to-late 2022, Somali authorities have engaged in a systematic and escalating crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, using arbitrary arrests, detention, harassment, threats, and intimidation to silence journalists, media houses, activists, and other people who peacefully express dissenting views. This widespread targeting constitutes a clear violation of Somalia’s obligations under international human rights law, to which the government is bound. It is imperative that Somali authorities uphold their national and international human rights obligations and commitments, including to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly and media freedom.

I urge you and your government to immediately and unconditionally release Sadia Moalim Ali, as she is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of her human rights. Pending her release, I urge you and your government to ensure she is held in conditions that adhere to international human rights standards, protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and has immediate and regular access to her family, lawyers, and adequate health care.

Yours sincerely,