Norwegian Citizen – Sentenced to Death Again

On Sunday morning, Saad Jirde Hayd’s Norwegian assistance lawyers John Christian Elden and Farid Boura received a message from Somaliland that the Hargeisa Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence against the Norwegian citizen.

The last time Dagbladet spoke to Saad Jirde Hayd (54), who arrived in Norway as a refugee in 1995, he was very insecure, but awaiting his acquittal.

At 05:00 this morning, Saad Jirde Hayd was taken from his prison cell and taken to the courtroom in central Hargeisa. There, without the defenders present, he was sentenced to death. The defenders had been informed by the Court of Appeal of the wrong time for sentencing, says development assistance lawyer Farid Bouras.

“The ruling is legally binding under Islamic Sharia law and Somaliland law,” Bouras said.

UD: – Disappointing message

Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide tells Dagbladet that the message is daunting.

– The death penalty against the Norwegian citizen has been upheld. We condemn all use of the death penalty. We are following the case closely and continuing to work fully through political and diplomatic channels, Søreide tells Dagbladet.

The Foreign Ministry is now following up the case with the Somaliland authorities to ensure that it is given an opportunity to appeal. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with Hayd’s defenders.

– We are now assessing the situation carefully, to make sure that what we do protects the interests of the Norwegian citizen in the best possible way. I have a great understanding that this situation is very difficult for the man and his family, says Søreide.

Was attacked

It was on Saturday April 4 last year when Saad Jirde Hayd, according to himself, was attacked by a man to whom he had previously loaned money. After a street fight in the capital of the separatist republic of Somalia, Hargeisa, Hayd doused the attacker with a defense spray.

– When I got to a safe place, the man who attacked me walked away. He was not seriously injured, Saad Jirde Hayd told Dagbladet by phone from the Somaliland prison a few weeks ago.

A few hours after the basketball game, the night before Sunday, April 5, 2020, Hargeisa police arrived at Hayd’s door. He was arrested and told that he was charged with murder.

After several months in custody, Saad Jirde Hayd was sentenced to death by shooting in November last year.

Protested

After the active efforts of lawyers Elden and Bouras in Norway, Saad Jirde Hayd, after much deliberation, appealed the verdict to a higher court, which corresponds to the Court of Appeal of Norway.

– We have already announced that we want the case to be tried in the country’s Supreme Court. But it is not clear if they will handle the case. The prosecution believes that the death sentence is final.

– Now the Norwegian authorities must act. Norwegian politicians and diplomats must react. Saad Jirde Hayd is exposed to foul play, says aid attorney Farid Bouras at the Elden to Dagbladet law firm.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Søreide Eriksen was also involved in the case, following the death sentence in Hargeisa district court. Eriksen spoke with President Muse Bihi Abdi in Somaliland and made it clear that Norway reacted strongly to the death sentence.

Lawyer changed

Dagbladet is also aware that lawyers Elden and Bouras have repeatedly been in contact with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland and have protested against the death sentence.

– We also replaced the local lawyer, and one of Somaliland’s most renowned lawyers took over as advocate for Saad Jirde Hayd, aid lawyer Farid Bouras tells Dagbladet

It is unclear whether, according to Somaliland law and jurisprudence, Saad Jirde Hayd can appeal the case to the country’s highest court.

Saad Jirde Hayd is desperate. The verdict is completely incomprehensible, Farid Bouras tells Dagbladet.

Family oriented

This morning, Farid Bouras briefed and informed Saad Jirde Hayd’s family about the death sentence.

– The Oslo family is completely broken and desperate, says Bouras.

Saad Jirde Hayd has several children who live in the Oslo area.

The family of the man for whom Saad Jirde Hayd is convicted of killing already knew, he is influential in Somaliland. Several close relatives will be in close contact with members of the government in the breakaway republic.

– We have documented to members of the government, judicial authorities and courts of Somaliland that the defense spray used by Saad Jirde Hayd to get to safety cannot be the murder weapon. He defended himself with a defense spray that he had bought at a Clas Ohlson store in Oslo, before going on vacation to Somaliland last winter.

Terrorists and pirates

Saad Jirde Hayd has been detained in the so-called Hargeisa Pirate Prison, since he was detained in April last year.

The prison was funded in part by the Norwegian authorities. Later, the international community intervened and detained the pirates who terrorized and hijacked ships in the Gulf of Aden.

Along with Saad Jirde Hayd in prison, there are pirates with long sentences and terrorists from the Islamic terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (the movement for young fighters).

“Now we are doing everything possible to stop the execution of Saad Jirde Hayd,” Farid Bouras told Dagbladet.

Bouras and Elden now hope that the Norwegian authorities will contact the President of Somaliland again and do what they can to stop the planned execution.