A rushed execution': the case of the woman convicted of child murder that shocked Somalia

"The justice system in Somalia is very poor, says Guleid Ahmed Jama, a lawyer who has worked in Somalia, and founder of the Human Rights Centre, a watchdog organisation in Somaliland. It fails because the court system is decentralised and not established by a central government. The country has an entrenched clan system where women are not considered members in the same way that men are, and so not afforded the same protections."

"When Diiriye's case came up, says Jama, because the alleged perpetrator was a woman, it became very, very sensational in the media. When all the public opinion went against her and when there isn't a proper independent judiciary, that is a very tough situation to be in."

Hodan Mohamud Diiriye was arrested after her great niece Saabirin Saylaan died in her care in Galkayo, Somalia. She was executed by firing squad in February, marking a rare instance of capital punishment for a woman in Somalia. While some viewed this as justice, human rights activists and her lawyer questioned whether she received a fair trial. Somalia's justice system suffers from decentralization, lack of central government oversight, and an entrenched clan system that denies women equal legal protections. The case became highly sensationalized due to media attention and public opinion, creating an unfavorable environment for a fair judicial process in a country where independent judiciary structures are weak.

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