MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Banadir Regional Appeals Court has overturned a three-year prison sentence against social activist Sadia Moalim Ali, known publicly as Sadia Bajaaj, bringing an end to more than four months of detention and allowing her to return to her family.
The court’s ruling on Wednesday effectively quashed the conviction and released Bajaaj after 122 days in custody, according to reports from Somali media and her lawyer.
The appeals court found that the evidence presented did not establish that Bajaaj had insulted or defamed the Somali police, her lawyer said.
Bajaaj, a 27-year-old tuk-tuk driver and social activist, had been detained in April after using social media and participating in public protests. Her case attracted growing attention from civil society groups and international rights organizations, which questioned the grounds for her detention and raised concerns about freedom of expression in Somalia.
Amnesty International had called for her release, arguing that her detention was connected to her peaceful expression and activism. The organization said she had used platforms including Facebook and TikTok to criticize issues such as corruption, unemployment, taxation and rising fuel prices.
Somali authorities, however, had pursued the case on allegations including public incitement and defamation. The prosecution’s case had focused on statements authorities considered threatening to public order and government institutions.
Her release marks a significant reversal in a case that had become a test of Somalia’s handling of dissent and public criticism. The ruling also comes amid wider debate over freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the treatment of activists and journalists in the country.
Rights groups have previously accused Somali authorities of using arrests and prosecutions to restrict criticism, while government officials have argued that measures are necessary when speech is considered a threat to public security.
For Bajaaj, the appeals court ruling brings an end to a period that began with her arrest in April and culminated in a three-year sentence before being overturned on appeal.
Amnesty International welcomed her release, saying she was free after 123 days in detention and that the appeals court had quashed her conviction.
