MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Somali government has charged a woman who has said she was raped by security forces, according to an international human rights group, which says the case is politically motivated.
The group said a journalist who interviewed her was also charged.
Human Rights Watch said three other people including the woman’s husband were charged with assisting the alleged rape victim to evade investigators. The rights group said in a statement Wednesday that Somali government should drop the politically motivated charges.
The woman was charged in Mogadishu court Tuesday of insulting a government body, inducing false evidence, simulating a criminal offense and making a false accusation while journalist Abdiaziz Abdinur has been charged with insulting a government body and inducing the woman to give false evidence.
Under the Somali penal code Abdinur faces up to four years in prison for the first charge and two years for the second. The charges against the woman carry punishments of up to three and six years respectively, according to Human Rights Watch.
Rights groups say the arrests are linked to an increase in media attention due to reports of the high prevalence of rape and other sexual violence in Somalia, including attacks allegedly committed by security forces.
“Bringing charges against a woman who alleges rape makes a mockery of the new Somali government’s priorities,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
Rape is rampant in Mogadishu, where tens of thousands of people who fled last year’s famine live in poorly protected camps. Government troops are often blamed.
“The police ‘investigation’ in this case was a politically motivated attempt to blame and silence those who report on the pervasive problem of sexual violence by Somali security forces,” Bekele said.
Attempts to contact officials from the Somali government for comment were unsuccessful. Most government officials evaded calls and questions from an Associated Press reporter.
Human rights watch said the woman’s husband and a man and woman who helped introduce her to the journalist were charged with assisting the alleged victim to evade investigation, which carries up to a four-year term, and assisting her to secure a profit for the rape allegation, carrying up to a five-year term.
The charge sheet indicates that the government believes there was a conspiracy to discredit it and somehow acquire financial gain, the rights group said in a statement.
The rights group says the charges the five face stem from a January 8 interview between Abdinur and the woman about her rape allegations. Abdinur did not report the story to any media outlet.
Human rights watch says on Jan 10, he was called to report to the Somali Central Investigations Department of the police and when he did, was detained without charge.
Since then he had been interrogated repeatedly and his home was searched, the rights group said. It said the woman retracted her claim after being interrogated for two days by the police without legal counsel; the police then publicly presented her to the media. She was released but her husband was detained in her stead. Credible local sources say it was for insisting that his wife had been raped, Human Rights Watch said.
Source: AP
Welcome to Mogadishu and its shameful justice! She must be brave woman to come forward as many Somali women never share their ordeal anyone let alone going to the Police!.
No wonder darood sister (if you can call them that) are leaving for West african and Caribbean brothers. It not a a big surprise when women are treated like second class citizens by some extremely uneducated people.
I urge all darood women to go to dubia and get on the first flight to Jamica, you will feel more loved there and also welcome as there are thousands of darood sisters already in Kingston with half somali children.
I do apologize if i have offended the youth of Burger land who often use this site to express their deep hatred of somaliland .
Kaboon aka im-not-really-Darood !
Like most of the hooker you have daddy’s issues.
I suggest you to take it to a Shrink !
Sahra and Ayanle, Buufin is not to be taken seriously, personally I'm not offended in the least of his pathetic comments, I'd bet anything that he is not Somali, maskiin Somalilandpress must be his outlet to get away from his horrible reality.. I don't know if you've noticed this but the guy dedicated his whole life hating on the Royal Family (Darood) I bet he felt like one of the cool kids saying that from behind his desktop.
Somalilandpress you've no business deleting any comment that's directed to this animal call kaboon,
because allowing his profanity and vulgar and censoring other people who would like to put his place and actually expose what he's real is trash a human waste. instead of delete comment other people you should start with nacaladan aan xalaasha lugu dhalin.
Somali women should not be insulted either they are Darood or any other clan. Nimanka dumarka caaya miyaan hooyo dhalin.
nayaadha, stop the calaacal, afwayne is not here to spoon feed your @ss. stop your useless crying and attend to your Jamaican partner.
Is that your partner. since you know the size of their private parts' that should tell us who you really are.
Baboon nobody is calacaling we just pity you, you are one pathetic loser that has no morals…. Your dad should have worn a condom coz you are a huge mistake, such a miserable excuse for a fetus. it's funny how you keep talking about man's private organs, that speaks for itself. LOL
KKKKkkkk
Subhanallah, we need to clean the horn from this 14 cenutry idealogy imported from the bedrooms of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Women are Equal to men and just as important. I hope there is some sort of revolution in the south because they don't treat women with respect or dignity. Somali culture is clear on the importance of women and often states that they are the pillars of nations and civilizations. I do hope south somalis from mogadisho to garowe start treating women with respect and dignity.
Rape is probably the worst crime one can commit and is punishable by stoning in Islam. If a sister has an a complain it should be taken extermly seriously .
It’s funny how people makes comment on a case
handle by the police. You Will never see those people doing those kind of comments if the case was in the UK or the US.
If you don’t know all the détails keep your mouth
Shut !
Have i upset you. As i have said, We somalis respect women and the horn is somali so if you don't like our respect for women then you can get out.
you are not a somali.
With the IC watching this case very carefully i'am sure the authority would of been foolish enough to charged them unless they had evidence so let keep calm and wait for the verdict.
Now i'm not saying they are guilty but its a know fact some journalist get their money by collaborating with the civilians to fabricate stuff
Read this great article by UK based Somali journalist Jamal Osman http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/…
correction wouldn't
I am disgusted beyond believe When Shabab sentenced a teenage girl for adultery we were all enraged at their actions. When Hassan Mahamoud's Road-Map Government does the same thing we will all brush it off as a case for the Civil courts and it will then hence be a non-Presidential affair right?
Absolutely dismayed at this as it sends the message to all the Pedophiles and Rapes that they will be given instant impunity.
Hassan is on a Road-Map to yet another Failed Goon-Ferment.
IRIR do not defend the Security forces nor the Government… for one day that could be your own mother or sister!
Security forces have been the only group that has the arms needed to commit Armed robbery and the exist to civilian properties to commit rape.
Don't just defend for the sake of defence they have been known to be the only cause of the two worse crimes in Somalia-Italia-territory.
http://wardheernews.com/Khaatumo/2_PR_Khatumo_For…
The Security forces who Hassan Mahamoud wishes to Grant Superior and deadlier weapons to have raped a poor woman and for reporting it she has been arrested and placed in a cell guarded by the same men who raped her???
The international community wishes to lift arms embargo to flood more weapons into the hands of undisciplined rapists???
Who is then expected to safe guard Human rights? the rapists?
People think amison and other African onion soldiers might cause a problem for the civilian population Nothing could be further from the truth. the problem lies with this undisciplined and poorly trained Somali soldiers who some of them were engaged not too long ago all kind of criminal activity and all sudden we expect to conduct them self with dignity and enforce the law of the land. please don't misunderstand me. what this trouble nation cannot afford is doing business as usual and we need to have open mind for any constructive criticism.So we have the ability to correct the problem from the beginning.
The international community is about to given them NEW weapons and armored vehicles so they can go POLICE Kismanyo.
Look guys, no one is denying that their are rape case. But did lady was proven that she wasn't raped by doctors. The report of the doctors are there for anyone to see. She wanted money!!
Look guys, no one is denying that their are rape cases. But this lady was proven to have lied about her rape by doctors. The report of the doctors are their for anyone to see. The authorities wouldn't be foolish enough to charged them unless they had evidence, knowing the IC is watching.
The Doctors in Muuqdishu are Amisom Military doctors of-course they will be bought by Hassan Mahamoud who paid for the 190Votes to get him SELECTED your PRESIDENT.
Wast it not only last year that 15year old girl got pregnant to an Ugandan Doctor who traded medican for her father in exchange for sex favors???
First of all this is an outrage and no victim or journalist should be punished for seeking justice.
We dont live in the dark ages and we should act as if we do.
I also love how somali men like to pretend they are not getting it from other ethnicities but always assume its somali women only that are doing that. Living in the west among soo many different people why would you want to limit yourself? The person who could very well make you happy could just as easily be a white girl/guy etc and who would pass up the delicious chance of love? Not one!
Live, Love and Chill the fug out is my motto!