Norwegian citizen sentenced to death –

Saad Jidre (54) was sentenced to death in Somaliland on Wednesday. Jidre’s family in Norway was notified today that he will be shot to death on Saturday.

– It was the family who was informed by the capital Hargeisa, that the father will be executed on Saturday, says Saad Jidre’s Norwegian development assistance lawyer Farid Bouras at the Elden law firm.

Bouras today sent an email to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ine Eriksen Søreide. In the email, he asks the Norwegian government to do everything possible to stop a possible execution of Saad Jidre, who has been a Norwegian citizen since 1995.

Inform the president

– I have been in direct contact with Foreign Minister Yasin Haji Mohamoud in Somaliland. By phone this afternoon, the chancellor confirmed that he is aware of the case, Farid Bouras told Dagbladet.

– He did not know that Saad Jidre would be executed now, and promised to inform Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abidi about the case At the same time, the chancellor assured that Saad Jidre will process his appeal, says aid lawyer Farid Bouras.

Insecure

Despite the fact that Foreign Minister Mohamoud almost guaranteed that Saad Jidre would not be shot on Saturday, Farid Bouras is not sure what is happening in Somaliland.

– Somaliland is a self-proclaimed separatist republic and a society where clans rule. We now hope that Saad Jidre can appeal the death sentence to a higher court and that the Norwegian authorities will use their influence to put pressure on the Somaliland authorities, says Bouras.

Earlier today, the assistance lawyer was in telephone contact with Saad Jidre.

Norwegian citizen sentenced to death

Tired and scared

– He’s very tired and scared. He is afraid he will be shot on Saturday, Farid Bouras told Dagbladet.

– Saad Jidre is also ill and needs medication.

– We are now doing everything possible to stop a possible execution. Hopefully, the Somaliland authorities will allow Saad Jidre’s appeal to be heard by a higher court. The problem is that we do not know what is happening down there, and if the authorities have control and prevent an execution, says Farid Bouras.

54-year-old local Somaliland lawyer Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamoud was unable to be present when the judge handed down the death sentence on Wednesday morning. The lawyer is now working with Norwegian assistance lawyers Farid Bouras and John Christian Elden to prevent Saad Jidre from being executed on Saturday.

“Innocent”

Dagbladet spoke to Saad Jidre by phone in June of this year. Two months later he was arrested and charged with killing a younger man in Hargeisa, Somaliland. He then explained:

– I was on vacation in Somaliland. At 21 o’clock on April 4 of this year he was heading home. Without warning, I was attacked by a man. He kicked and hit, while I tried to protect myself.

Saad Jidre repeatedly emphasized to Dagbladet that he was innocent of killing someone, although he admitted that he had been in a fight with the deceased.

– They attacked me and I defended myself, Jidre said in the telephone interview.

Assistance lawyer Farid Bouras also fears for Jidre’s safety at Hargeisa prison.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls

– He had previously been tried for poisoning in prison. He is sitting in a cell with 16 other men, Bouras says.

– The Foreign Service is aware that a Norwegian citizen has been sentenced to death in Hargeisa and we are following the case in various ways, both here in Oslo and through the embassy, ​​says press spokesman Ragnhild Simenstad from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

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Our embassy in Nairobi provides consular assistance according to a fixed framework. The embassy has had regular contact with the family and their Norwegian and local lawyers. The embassy has also raised the matter with local authorities, says Simenstad.

– We have a great understanding that this is difficult, both for the imprisoned Norwegian and his family. In cases where Norwegian citizens are sentenced to death, the Norwegian authorities will request that the sentence not be served. This is in line with the Norwegian authorities’ global commitment to the death penalty, says Simenstad.

– Therefore, we will call a representative of Somaliland in Norway for a meeting at the Foreign Ministry as soon as possible, says press spokesman Ragnhild Simenstad at the Foreign Ministry.