By: Latifa Yusuf Masai
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Campaign for the release of SMS lady Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama have intensified as she commemorates her 17th day in custody.
The Horn Watch has joined the family of Ms Nadra in campaigning for her release which was effected by CID officers in Hargeisa for allegedly writing an abusive SMS message to the presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali.
Ms Marko Haji Dagah an aunt of the confined SMS writing lady has appealed for presidential intervention in-order to affect the release of her niece Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama arrested over a fortnight ago by CID officers who are still holding her illegally since they have failed to present her to court to answer charges as stipulated in the constitution.
Lady Marko said that her appeal to the president H.E Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo is as a result of her niece’s denial of fundamental rights by the security officials who are under orders from her accuser who is a powerful figure in the government.
Said she, “Your Excellency I appeal to you both as the head of state and a father to intervene in the saga surrounding the prolonged and now illegal confinement of my niece Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama”
While speaking on behalf of the family the visible agitated aunt said that they do not condone the magnitude of the alleged crime committed by their daughter but only want to ensure that proper legal proceedings should be followed thus prosecute Ms Nadra for her crimes”
“Our worries are for the wellbeing our daughter emanate from reasons given for her prolonged detention without trial pertain to ongoing investigations”
Wondering how the CID handles more complex criminal cases if it takes them over a fortnight to investigate an SMS message send by a registered simcards user.
At the same time the Hargeisa based Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee –HAHRWC has submitted a letter to president Silanyo accusing the minister of presidency Hirsi Haji Ali of maladministration emanating from his misuse of office.
The HAHRWC letter signed by the committee’s chairperson Mr. Suleiman Ismail Bulale informed the president that his minister of presidency has utilize powers confer by his public office to infringe upon the rights of Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama.
Excerpts from the HAHRWC letter read:
Quote-“With due respect your Excellency President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo we wish to bring to your attention to the fast deteriorating human rights and freedom of citizens in the country’ this condition is directly linked to actions by some senior officials in your administration.
“Your Excellency a case in point is that of Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama who is custody on the alleged crime of sending an offensively abusive SMS Message to your minister of the presidency Hirsi Haji Ali’ the HAHRWC has also confirmed that she is also alleged to have written similar SMS messages to the vice president and the minster of interior respectively. This young lady has been in custody for more than the legally acceptable length of time without being arraigned in court”
“Your Excellency the HAHRWC has also ascertained from the family of the detained lady that police officers at the Hargeisa central police station have refused her access to medication prescribed and in use for a number of years, thus our and her family’s fears for her health.
Your Excellency we wish to inform you that this is not the first time for your presidency minister to incarnate a member of the public for a similar offence of abusive SMS messages send to him. At the same time the HAHRWC wishes to bring its fears for the well being of suspects detained at the Hargeisa central police station who are not only denied rights to perform prayers but forced to defecate and urinate in the floor where they eat and sleep as well.
This your Excellency is a very deplorable condition that goes against enshrined human rights, the country’s constitution, Islamic, and cultural tenets.
We the Horn Africa Human Rights Watch Committee therefore humble request H.E Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo, the president of Somaliland:
• To Intervene an expedite the unconditional release of Ms Nadra Mohamed Jama
• Ensure the immediate availability of toilets for prisoners at police stations nationwide.
• Facilitate access to prisoners by legal and human rights organization that are currently not allowed to visit prisoners at police stations.
• To urgently and in conformity to your oath of office as well as in conformity to religious and Cultural norms, thus institute restrain and corrective measures towards the unconstitutional conduct of some senior ministers in your administration whose actions are detrimental to the availability of Human rights for Somaliland’s citizens. Unquote
