Condemnation Over the Political Persecution and Jailing of Sadiyo Bajaj

Mogadishu (WDN) – The sentencing of Sadiyo Macalin Ali Hassan, popularly known as Sadiyo Bajaj, has ignited a fierce national outcry in Somalia over freedom of expression, political dissent, and the limits of state authority. A court in Mogadishu has sentenced the social media activist to three years in prison.

Sadiyo’s conviction is a troubling assault on free speech and a dangerous precedent aimed at silencing opposition voices and discouraging public criticism of government officials.

Among those condemning the sentence is former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who strongly denounced the three-year prison term handed down to the social media activist. Khaire described the case as a politically motivated campaign orchestrated by President Hassan Sheikh to suppress dissent and intimidate government critics.

In a sharply worded statement, Kheyre accused the government of using the justice system as a political weapon, arguing that the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of Sadiyo Bajaj reflect a broader pattern of political retaliation, abuse of power, and suppression of dissent.