Sacdiyo Bajaaj sentenced to 3 years in prison, what was the reason?

Sacdiyo Bajaaj sentenced to 3 years in prison, what was the reason?

A court located in the city of Mogadishu has sentenced a girl believed to be part of the activist movement.

Sacdiyo Macallin Cali, known as Sacdiyo Bajaaj, was sentenced by the Banadir regional court to 3 months of imprisonment after her case hearing was concluded, with the court stating that it found her guilty of the charges brought by the prosecutor.

Sacdiyo, who had been detained for more than 70 days in the city of Mogadishu, was accused of inciting the public, organizing unauthorized protests against the government, and insulting the country's leaders.

The defending lawyers stated that they would appeal. "We will appeal the ruling issued by the Banadir regional court against Sacdiyo Bajaaj," said Maxamed Sheekh Cusmaan, her defending lawyer. "The court issued a harsh ruling that was unnecessary," he added.

In April, she was arrested by security forces and had mostly been held in the central prison of Mogadishu.

The prosecutors accused her of posting information on social media, including how the positions of the Banadir administration were distributed among clans, and of organizing public protests against the government.

Her lawyers argued that neither of these two matters could be considered a criminal act under the Somali constitution.

"It is not a crime to talk about the positions people hold and the clans they come from," said Maxamed Sheekh.

Another lawyer defending Sacdiyo, named Cal Xalane, also argued that the prosecutors did not present any witnesses, as the entire case was based on video footage. "Everyone shown those videos will make their own interpretation," he said.

During the trial, Sacdiyo spoke about the difficult conditions she faced during her detention. She stated that when she told the media that she was not eating, she was placed in solitary confinement for 3 days and was denied her right to pray or seek assistance.

"When I asked why I was being held alone in a separate place, I was told it was because I spoke to the media," she said.