Desperate Families Plead for Intervention as Somali Nationals Face Execution in Saudi Arabia
Mogadishu, Somalia (AQRI.net) – A wave of anguish is sweeping through Somalia as families of citizens sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia staged a passionate protest in Mogadishu Wednesday. The demonstrators are desperately calling on the Somali government to intervene on behalf of their imprisoned relatives, citing concerns over fair trials and due process.
Holding signs bearing photos of their loved ones, the families claim that at least 45 Somali nationals are currently languishing on death row in Saudi prisons. They are imploring President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration to engage in urgent negotiations with Saudi authorities to halt the executions and ensure adequate legal representation for the detainees.
“Mr. President, please hear our cries! Bring our sons home,” pleaded one distraught mother, her voice cracking with emotion. “They are being held unjustly!”
Mohamud Ahmed, another protester, voiced deep frustration over the lack of communication and legal assistance afforded to those detained. “We have had no contact with our children in prison,” he said. “They have received no legal support whatsoever. We believe they are innocent of the charges leveled against them.”
The protest was fueled by the recent execution of Mohamed Nur Hussein Ja’al, a Somali national convicted of drug smuggling. Hussein, who had lived in Yemen for over a decade before moving to Saudi Arabia, was beheaded, according to Saudi execution practices, after being accused of attempting to smuggle hashish into the kingdom.
Hussein’s family vehemently denies the charges and alleges that his execution was unjust. They claim he was denied a fair trial, had severely limited access to legal counsel, and was robbed of the opportunity to appeal his sentence. They maintain he was in regular contact with them during imprisonment.
The office of Somali Consul Ahmed Mahmoud Diriye (Macaruuf) confirmed to the BBC that they have identified between 45 and 50 Somali detainees, many of whom were apprehended near the volatile Saudi-Yemen border.
Somali families protest Saudi executions
Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concerns over the circumstances surrounding these arrests. They allege that many detainees were coerced or tricked into smuggling illicit substances under duress or under the false pretense of legitimate job opportunities.
The families are now urgently pressing the Somali government to take immediate diplomatic action to prevent further executions and ensure a fair and transparent legal process for all Somali detainees in Saudi Arabia. The situation highlights the vulnerability of Somali migrants in the region and the urgent need for greater diplomatic protection. AQRI.net will continue to follow this developing story.