No Case Against Haatuf To Answer
| Front Page |
Prof. Abdisalam Yassin Mohamed
The staff of the Haatuf newspaper has recently informed us that the two detained journalist, Mr. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and Ali Abdi Dini were taken from the CID detention center to the office of the Regional Attorney in Hargeisa yesterday at 8:30 in the morning. According to Haatuf, the two detained journalists were first interrogated by the Regional Attorney. After that, they appeared before a District Judge, accompanied by the Regional Attorney and the police. When the Judge asked the Regional Attorney to present his case to the court, the RA predictably said that they did not put a case together yet.
In a land where the rule of law is paramount, the judge would have freed the detainees since there was no case against them to answer. Nonetheless, this is part of unpredictable Africa. No matter how its freedom-loving people spare no effort and sacrifice to fight for their freedom and protect it, elements of suppression and totalitarian rule find their way to positions of power and deny the citizen their right to freedom and development. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Judge, in whose court the detainees appeared, extended their period of detention to another three days, i.e. until the 7th of this month. And for what reason? To give enough time to the RA to prepare his case and to bring it before the court.
With all due respect to our judges, I think they are not serving justice well. They are usually part of the constitutional and legal muddle in our country. Otherwise, how can you explain a judge extending the detention of peaceful journalists who are accused of unsubstantiated libel? Moreover, isn't libel a civil case? When has it become a criminal case? The case being civil or criminal, if there is any case at all; couldn't the journalists be released on bail?
Several months ago, I read a report in the news that mentioned the President of our Supreme Court, Mr. Mohamed Omane, admonishing judges to serve justice very well, while visiting the courts in Burao. I would like to ask the honorable Chief Justice, is what happened in the district court in Hargeisa on Thursday a service to justice, which you seriously advised your judges to undertake?
Until our officials respect the rights of citizens, until our officials respect the rule law, until our judiciary becomes fully independent, until our judges are respectable professional, until our citizens fiercely defend their rights when violated by the government, we cannot have a republic worthy of respect, no matter how much we claim that we are "the new secret of Africa."
Oops! One final note. Mr. Abshir Hassan Hashi, a former official of the presidency, blew the whistle about the allegations for which the two journalists are accused. He claims he has a lot of damning evidence which support the accusations that Haatuf has printed. Will Commissioner Saqadhe also arrest him for "defaming the President and his family"? Food for thought!
Prof. Abdisalam Yassin Mohamed
Home | Contact us | Links | Archives