Somali rights activist Sadia Moalin Ali, widely known as Sadia Bajaaj, was freed on Wednesday after spending 123 days in detention, following a ruling by the Banadir Regional Appeals Court overturning her three-year prison sentence.
Appeals Court Judge Abdifatah Mohamed announced that the court had quashed the three-year sentence imposed on Sadia by a lower court on June 25.
“I hereby declare that the court has granted Sadia Moalin Ali her full freedom without condition,” Judge Abdifatah said.
The ruling was met with jubilation inside the courtroom, where a small number of journalists, lawyers and family members had gathered to witness the proceedings.
Sadia, 27, was unlawfully detained in April after she publicly criticised corruption and nepotism involving Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and members of his family.
In late June, the Banadir Regional Court sentenced her to three years in prison, a verdict that shocked many Somalis and drew condemnation from local and international human rights organisations.
In July, in a letter first published by Kaab TV, Sadia called for justice and freedom while she remained behind bars. She appealed for her case to be addressed fairly and for her freedom after months in detention.
The Geeska Freedom Centre welcomed Sadia’s release, saying her freedom demonstrates that the struggle for a free and peaceful society must continue.
“We welcome the freedom of Sadia, even though she spent an unacceptable amount of time in jail, far from her family and her toddler daughter. She should never have been arrested in the first place,” said Abdalle Mumin, director of the Geeska Freedom Centre.
Last week, Amnesty International also called for Sadia’s release, saying it was closely monitoring her case at the Court of Appeal.
“We continue to call on the authorities to quash her conviction and ensure her immediate and unconditional release,” Amnesty International said.
Born in Mogadishu to a low-income family, Sadia rose to prominence after becoming a tuk-tuk taxi driver, a profession that remains difficult for many women in Somalia.
Following the Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict, which contributed to a surge in global fuel prices and affected Somalia, Sadia joined other tuk-tuk drivers in Mogadishu in protests demanding lower taxation and cheaper fuel.
She was briefly arrested alongside some of her fellow drivers. After her release, she campaigned for the release of others who remained in detention.
In April, Sadia used social media to speak out against corruption, mismanagement and nepotism in Somalia, directly naming President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and members of his family.
She also criticised alleged corruption within the Banadir Regional Administration.
After her arrest by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Sadia was held at the Central Prison, where she reported experiencing abuse, torture and denial of food.
During testimony in court last week, she described how police officers allegedly threatened her with death and rape and stripped her naked while she was in detention.
Her release ends a 123-day ordeal that drew significant attention from Somali and international rights groups and intensified calls for accountability over her treatment in detention.