We are all General Sheegow NOT because he is general – and not a captain; We are all General Sheegow NOT because he is from a community that deserve to be respected; and we are all General Sheegow NOT because he is a brave general who fought against the enemies of the state; And he is all of that, but we are all General Sheegow because he is a CITIZEN.
Citizens have the following rights under the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia:
Article 19. Inviolability of Home
(1) The home and other dwellings of the person shall be inviolable, and their entry, search or surveillance shall not be allowed without a reasoned order from a judge.
(2) Any such order must be read properly to the occupier of the dwelling before entry, and the inspecting authority is prohibited to violate the law.
it’s very common, In Mogadishu and around the country, that former generals or warlords to have an armed security details and some of them even set up illegal checkpoints for a lucrative extorsion. Certainly, we welcome if the government is starting to deal with those engaged illegal activities. There are well known police commanders that run multiple illegal checkpoints and collect money for themselves and their protectors – powerful ministers and senators.
So far, there is no evidence from any government sources that confirm police had a warrant from a judge to go and arrest General Shegow.
Police did not only deny him his constitutional rights, but they also unlawfully claimed that he is not a general but a captain – as Somali captains deserve to be humiliated. This claim and how they treated the General during the arrest destroyed any credibility left for the police and what ever evidence they claim to have and bring against him henceforth is inadmissible to a lawful court and should be rejected.
No one is above the law, and certainly, we don’t want any general to be above the law, but we can not allow the police and the justice system to violate the rights of our citizens. Ahmed Ali Sheegow is a Somali citizen and the mob lynching subjected to him during the unlawful arrest is unacceptable.
Today, we are all General Sheegow and we demand his immediate release.
By: Abdulkadir M. Abow