In a prison interview, Sadia Moalim Ali, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver, recounts her mistreatment following arrest for protesting against government policies
A woman imprisoned in Somalia for participating in peaceful protests has detailed the torture she endured at the hands of prison guards.
Sadia Moalim Ali, 27, informed reporters that two male guards stripped her naked in a CCTV-monitored room, kicked her, beat her with a baton, and confined her for two days in a small cell without food.
During her prison interview, she stated: “I was tortured. They made me lie face down on the ground while pouring water on me. Guards wearing boots kicked me. They stood over me and struck me with a baton.”
“I was placed in solitary confinement for two days. While locked in that cell, I was denied food and essential necessities. I was not permitted to leave to use the toilet.”
Torture, characterized as any act intentionally causing severe physical or mental pain or suffering, is prohibited under international law and the UN Convention against Torture in all situations.
Ali, a nursing graduate employed as a rickshaw driver, was arrested and held at a police station on 12 April due to her anti-government activities. She utilized social media platforms to criticize the federal government, addressing alleged corruption, nepotism, forced evictions, youth unemployment, taxation, and high fuel costs.
On 14 April, she was moved to Mogadishu central prison, where she continues to be held. She reported having no formal charges and being denied access to a legal representative. During police custody, she claimed she was coerced into signing an incomprehensible document before being brought before a court.
Amnesty International reported that authorities received court approval to detain her for 90 days while investigations continue.
During a prison interview broadcast on 20 April by Shabelle Media, a Somali news organization, Ali stated she was being detained without proper legal procedures and requested her release.
She attributed the torture to that interview, stating: “When I previously spoke with the media, I was punished the same day… I experienced significant pain.”
The cell where she was confined is known as “cellula della morte” or “cell of death,” a name from the prison’s construction during Italian colonial rule that ended in 1941. Former inmates describe it as a punishment cell used for those awaiting execution. The floor is reportedly coated with engine oil, salt, and feces. The small space, approximately two square meters, is extremely hot with an overpowering odor that has caused vomiting.
Ali, the primary income earner for her extended family including her 11-month-old daughter, now occupies another cell with 38 other female prisoners.
“Life here is extremely difficult,” she stated. “No person should be confined in such conditions. There is no ventilation, making even healthy individuals ill. The environment is noisy and overcrowded.”
She reported difficulty sleeping and suffering from kidney issues along with numbness in her hand and foot. She expressed a desire to return to her family and stated she would cease her activism.
“I have faced serious violations and earnestly seek justice for my rights and freedom from those responsible.”
Dalmar Dhayow from the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders stated that female prisoners in the country routinely experience numerous human rights violations.
“Sexual assault and violence are systematically employed to compel women into false confessions, humiliate and harass them in prison,” Dhayow explained. “Many cases involve women being shackled during detention with their limbs bound.”
Human rights organizations, former government officials, and a Somali MP have declared Ali’s detention unlawful and are demanding her immediate release.
Abdirahman Abdishakur, an opposition party leader, described Ali’s detention as “a national disgrace and a harsh critique of President Hassan Sheikh’s administration”.
“Her sole ‘crime’ was speaking against corruption and favoritism in government institutions,” he wrote. “This is not an offense but a fundamental civic right. Mr President, intolerance toward a young woman’s voice demonstrates weakness, not strength.”
Since 2022, Somali authorities have faced accusations of implementing an escalating campaign against human rights, employing arbitrary arrests, detentions, harassment, threats, and intimidation to suppress journalists, activists, and those with differing opinions.
The Somali government was contacted for comment but offered no response.