Ban disappointed at sentencing alleged Somali rape victim, and her reporter
February 06, 2013: United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his deep
disappointment over the one-year sentence handed down on Tuesday in Mogadishu to a
woman who alleged she was raped by members of the Somali security forces and a journalist
who interviewed her.
“The Secretary-General urges the Government of Somalia
to ensure that all allegations of sexual violence are investigated fully and perpetrators
are brought to justice,” his spokesperson said in a statement.
“Above all,
it is essential that the rights of the alleged victim and the journalist to a fair
and transparent judicial process, including the right of appeal, are fully respected,”
he added.
Last month, Somali authorities arrested the woman – who claimed she
was raped in September by armed men in government uniforms while living in a camp
for internally displaced persons (IDPs) – and the journalist who interviewed her,
as well as the person who introduced them. Two other individuals have also been charged
in connection with the case.
The journalist, Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim, was
charged for offending the honour of a State institution and for filing a false report
in spite of never having published his interview, while the alleged victim was charged
for offending the honour of a State institution.
“The United Nations has repeatedly
expressed alarm over reports of pervasive sexual violence in IDP camps in and around
Mogadishu,” said the statement. “These crimes are underreported because of risks to
victims, witnesses and family members, as well as of intense stigmatization. It takes
extraordinary courage for survivors to come forward.” It added that Somalia is
emerging from a long and difficult period of instability, with representative institutions
and a new Government that has made a commendable commitment to uphold human rights
and the rule of law for all.