Human Rights Violation

It seems like Land has become the new gold in Somaliland, owning a piece of land is everything and if you don't own land take someone else's piece of land is what going on at the moment.

In Somaliland, the criminal justice system is seriously faulty. The country's law and enforcement agencies and judicial system do not effectively protect people from human rights abuses, and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. These systemic deficiencies lead to arbitrary detentions, torture, fabrication of evidence and unfair trials.

My mother Shune Hersi Gelleh was detained on the basis of politically motivated criminal charges, a tactic still commonly used against individuals that don't keep quiet about the corruption.

I am writing to express my concern at the continued imprisonment of my Mother, who marked the second week of her detention in Somaliland.     I urge you to help with the release of my mother as a prisoner of conscience who was imprisoned solely for the legitimate and peaceful actions of her beliefs.

My Mother was imprisoned for protecting her land from a business man who claims to have bought the land of my Uncle (my mother's brother), this businessman has the Somaliland government in his back pocket and uses it to his convenience thus resulting in my mother's arrest 14 days ago.

The explicit right to the presumption of innocence is absent in Somaliland's constitution. In practice most individuals accused of a crime are presumed guilty. Lack of access to effective defense counsel further undermines the right to a fair trial. Often the poorest and most vulnerable in society, such as indigenous peoples, suffer the most.

Written by Abadir Abdi one of Mrs. Shune Hersi Gelleh's six sons

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