Somalia: Willkürlich inhaftierte Aktivistin freilassen!

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 27-year-old 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, and her family is not aware of any formal charges against her, but 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. 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,