Somaliland Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of detained lawmaker Mohamed Abiib Yusuf, declaring his arrest illegal.
In a statement issued on Monday, the court directed the Commander of the Custodial Corps to release Yusuf from Madera prison today.
The court ruled that Yusuf’s detention violated the law, citing that the Somaliland House of Representatives had rejected the removal of his parliamentary immunity by a majority vote.
“The court has decided that the detention of Mr. Mohamed Abib Yusuf is illegal because the House of Representatives rejected the removal of his immunity by Article 79 and Article 49, Clause 3 of the Somaliland Constitution,” the statement read.
The Speaker of the Somaliland House of Representatives, alongside opposition parties, had previously condemned Yusuf’s arrest, calling it a constitutional violation.
The lawmaker was arrested at Hargeisa’s Egal Airport upon his return from the United Arab Emirates and was accused of treason, defaming the military, aiding what it called the “enemy”, and opposing national interests.
