Statement by United Nations Watch
HRC 45th Session
Interactive Dialogue with IE on Somalia
Delivered by David Naftulin
2 October 2020
Thank you, Madam President.
United Nations Watch thanks the Independent Expert for her thorough report. We wish to address two areas of particular concern.
First, we remain concerned about the use of the death penalty in Somalia, which is frequently in the form of public execution by firing squad. In territories still under the control of Al-Shabaab, summary executions violate basic tenets of international law, including Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Second, we are alarmed by the failure to protect journalists, who are regularly intimidated, imprisoned and even assassinated for their work. Just a few months ago, 25-year old journalist Abdiwali Ali Hassan was killed by militants outside his home. Unfortunately, his story is not unique. According the Global Impunity Index published by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Somalia ranks as Number 1. The Committee found that Somali journalists are murdered more often, and with more impunity, than any other country on earth.
Madam President, the people of Somalia deserve and need basic human rights.
Can the expert tell us what steps she expects Somalia to take to comply with its obligations, and to hold perpetrators accountable?
