Somalia’s Minister of Justice, Hassan Sheikh Ali, who holds dual Somali and British citizenship, recently visited Mogadishu Central Prison and met with detained activist Sadia Moalin Ali, according to her family.
Family members told Kaab TV that the minister entered the prison cell this week and met privately with Sadia, who is serving a three-year prison sentence following her conviction in June.
According to a family member briefed on the meeting, the minister urged Sadia to “admit guilt” and “seek forgiveness,” allegedly telling her that doing so could lead to her release.
A prison source, who spoke to Kaab TV on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, also claimed the government has been attempting to persuade Sadia to reach “a deal”.
“The proposal is for Sadia to confess to offences such as being anti-government and to express regret over her criticism of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,” the source said. “After that, the government would consider granting her a pardon.”
Sadia’s family rejected the reported proposal, describing it as part of an ongoing campaign of intimidation intended to further implicate her.
Sadia Moalin Ali was arrested on 12 April and, on 25 June, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after being prosecuted over public comments criticizing alleged corruption, rising fuel prices, and the increasing cost of living in Mogadishu. Supporters and rights advocates have argued that the case is politically motivated and linked to her exercise of freedom of expression.
While in prison Sadia faced beatings, stripped naked as she was denied access to food, health and family.
In a letter she sent from her prison cell last week published by Kaab TV, she stated “I suffer from asthma, which has caused me significant hardship. As I have repeatedly stated, I have not received the medical care that my condition requires. I therefore request immediate access to an independent doctor to assess my health and ensure that I receive the medication, treatment, and living conditions necessary for my well-being.
In her letter Sadia also stated she is “demanding justice” and that she will not seek pardon.
The Justice Ministry has not publicly responded to the family’s allegations regarding the reported prison visit or claims that Sadia was pressured to confess.
Previous remarks by the Justice Minister
Minister Hassan Sheikh Ali has previously attracted criticism over comments he made about Sadia’s case.
On 9 April, days before Sadia’s re-arrest, he addressed a meeting with local journalists in Mogadishu after returning from London, where he said he had been visiting his family.
During the meeting, according to journalists who attended the meeting, the minister criticized media outlets for interviewing Sadia and warned journalists against providing her with a platform.
“I was in London with my family and had to cut short my stay because this woman, Sadia, was giving the government a bad image. Why would any journalist interview her? What does she know? She is nothing. We shall arrest her, and any journalist who interviews her will be dealt with,” the minister allegedly told the gathering.
The comments were made shortly before Sadia was arrested.
She had previously been detained in March after taking part in a peaceful demonstration alongside tuk-tuk drivers in Mogadishu protesting taxes and demanding reductions in fuel prices.
Mogadishu mayor’s comments
Last week, Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, commonly known as Muungaab, also drew criticism after making remarks about Sadia during a public event.
Referring to her detention, he said: “This woman called Sadia, who is widely talked about these days, it is good for her to be in jail, because even if she is released she will not be safe. I am afraid she will be killed, similar to what happened to Ikraan Tahliil.”
The mayor was referring to Ikraan Tahliil, an employee of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), who disappeared in June 2021. Her disappearance remains one of Somalia’s most controversial unresolved cases.
Minister Hassan Sheikh Ali, a former member of Somalia’s federal parliament, has family in London, United Kingdom, where they reportedly sought asylum during the early 1990s.
During Somalia’s 2016 parliamentary elections, he faced allegations that he had “ordered” the killing of a clan elder who opposed his parliamentary candidacy during a heavily contested selection of parliamentarians in the central Somali town of Adado.
The allegations were widely reported at the time but were never adjudicated in court. Hassan Sheikh Ali never denied wrongdoing, was subsequently elected to parliament, and no criminal proceedings were brought against him.
The minister has not publicly responded to renewed references to those allegations.