By Goth Mohamed Goth
MOGADISHU — The Banaadir Regional Court on Thursday handed down a three-year prison sentence to Sacdiya Macalin Ali, popularly known as Sacdiya Bajaaj, concluding a trial that has drawn widespread attention from human rights advocates and the local business community.
The verdict was delivered in a session presided over by the court’s chairman, Saalax Cali Maxamuud, and attended by several bajaj (motorized rickshaw) drivers from Mogadishu. Ali, one of the few women operating a bajaj in the capital, had been detained at the city’s central prison for nearly 80 days prior to the ruling.
According to the court chairman, the sentence was based on the prosecution having established sufficient grounds on a portion of the charges leveled against her. While the court did not read out the full details of the charges, it confirmed that Ali retains the legal right to appeal the decision.
Ali’s arrest earlier this year sparked debate, with authorities accusing her of incitement and disseminating social media content deemed detrimental to public security and critical of government leadership. Her supporters and several local human rights organizations have maintained that her detention was politically motivated and stemmed from her peaceful criticism of economic hardships, including high fuel prices, unemployment, and deteriorating living conditions in the capital.
No further legal particulars regarding the specific articles of law applied in the ruling have been made public. Legal observers expect Ali’s defense team to announce an appeal in the coming days, as she exercises her right to challenge the court’s decision
