Somali court frees convicted woman over defamation
Source: Agencies |
March 4, 2013, Monday
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A Somali appeals court yesterday dropped charges against a woman who alleged she was raped by government security forces and had been convicted of defaming the government.
Mogadishu appeals court Judge Mohamed Hassan Ali said there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate the prosecutor's charge. A court in February had sentenced the woman to one year in prison after medical evidence entered into the record showed that the woman was not raped. Some experts questioned whether Somalia has the medical expertise to make the kind of judgment.
A journalist who interviewed the rape victim and was tried alongside her had his sentence cut from one year to six months. The judge said the interview was not conducted according to journalism ethics or Somali law.
The February verdict against the two provoked a global outcry by human rights groups, and Human Rights Watch yesterday said it wasn't satisfied with the appeals court's decision.
"The court of appeals missed a chance to right a terrible wrong, both for the journalist and for press freedom in Somalia," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at HRW. "The government has argued that justice should run its course in this case, but each step has been justice denied."
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed the decision concerning the rape victim and said "we are a step closer to justice being done."
But he said ''journalists should be sent to prison for doing their job.''
Mogadishu appeals court Judge Mohamed Hassan Ali said there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate the prosecutor's charge. A court in February had sentenced the woman to one year in prison after medical evidence entered into the record showed that the woman was not raped. Some experts questioned whether Somalia has the medical expertise to make the kind of judgment.
A journalist who interviewed the rape victim and was tried alongside her had his sentence cut from one year to six months. The judge said the interview was not conducted according to journalism ethics or Somali law.
The February verdict against the two provoked a global outcry by human rights groups, and Human Rights Watch yesterday said it wasn't satisfied with the appeals court's decision.
"The court of appeals missed a chance to right a terrible wrong, both for the journalist and for press freedom in Somalia," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at HRW. "The government has argued that justice should run its course in this case, but each step has been justice denied."
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed the decision concerning the rape victim and said "we are a step closer to justice being done."
But he said ''journalists should be sent to prison for doing their job.''
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