Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — A court in Mogadishu on Thursday sentenced Somali social media activist Sadia Moalim Ali Hassan, widely known as Sadia Bajaaj, to three years in prison, in a case that has drawn strong criticism from opposition figures and rights campaigners.
Banaadir Regional Court chairman Salah Dabbaan announced the verdict after several hearings in which prosecutors accused the young activist of public incitement and defaming state institutions and senior federal officials.
Prosecutors presented evidence during the trial, including video material shown in court. Sadia and her lawyers denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
One of her defence lawyers, Mohamed Sheikh Osman, rejected the ruling and said the legal team would appeal to the Banaadir Regional Court of Appeal.
“Sadia is not satisfied with the decision of the Banaadir Regional Court. The court issued a harsh ruling that could have been avoided,” he told reporters after the verdict.
Sadia had already spent 74 days in detention before the court delivered its ruling. She will remain in prison unless an appeals court overturns or reduces the sentence.
Appeal planned
The case has attracted wide attention in Somalia, where many social media users have followed the proceedings closely and debated whether the charges reflected a legitimate legal case or an attempt to silence criticism.
Sadia became known online after speaking out on social and economic grievances affecting ordinary Somalis, particularly young people struggling with unemployment and rising living costs in Mogadishu.
Her nickname, “Bajaaj”, refers to the three-wheeled rickshaws widely used as public transport in the capital. Supporters say she drove one after graduating from university, but failed to secure formal employment.
She had also appeared at opposition gatherings critical of the federal government, making the case politically sensitive amid growing tension between Villa Somalia and opposition leaders.
Opposition criticism
The verdict triggered immediate criticism from senior opposition figures, who described the case as politically motivated and warned that it could deepen concerns over freedom of expression.
Former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said the three-year sentence was “unjust” and had shocked many Somalis.
“The unjust three-year sentence handed to Sadia Moalim Ali is surprising to the Somali people and is a message of intimidation,” he said in a statement.
Sharif accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration of targeting young people and critics of government actions in the capital.
“I encourage the youth of the capital and the Somali people in general not to accept intimidation by a system that has turned away from the law and statehood,” he said.
Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire also condemned the sentence, calling it “deeply troubling and fundamentally unjust”.
“Sadia is not a criminal,” Khaire said. “She is a Somali citizen, a university graduate who, despite her qualifications, was unable to secure formal employment.”
He said Sadia had turned to driving a rickshaw to support herself and her family and accused the state of criminalising a citizen for peacefully expressing grievances.
“Her imprisonment stems solely from the peaceful expression of her views and grievances,” he said.
Somalia Today could not independently verify the opposition claims of political interference in the case.
Rights concerns
Rights groups had already raised concern over Sadia’s detention before the court handed down its verdict.
Amnesty International previously called for her immediate and unconditional release, saying security officers arrested her in Mogadishu in April over her social media activism and participation in peaceful protests.
The group said her detention related to online criticism of the federal government, including comments on alleged corruption, youth unemployment, nepotism, high taxation and rising fuel prices.
It also said authorities had previously arrested Sadia in March after she protested against increased fuel prices, before later releasing her.
Amnesty International urges the Somali authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her.
The Somali government has not publicly accepted Amnesty’s description of the case as arbitrary detention.
Free speech debate
The ruling has intensified debate over freedom of expression in Somalia, where activists, journalists and opposition politicians have repeatedly accused the authorities of using security agencies and courts to pressure critics.
Government supporters argue that public criticism must not cross into incitement or attacks on state institutions, while Sadia’s supporters say the verdict sends a warning to young people who speak out about hardship and governance.
Somalia’s provisional constitution protects freedom of expression, including speech and electronic media, but rights groups have long warned that those protections remain fragile in practice.
The case now moves towards an appeal that could become another major test of public confidence in the judiciary, particularly in politically sensitive cases heard in the capital.
Sadia’s lawyers said they would continue the legal fight, setting up a fresh court battle over one of Somalia’s most closely watched free-speech cases this year.
