Articles for Djibouti

Alkarama is concerned and condemns the recent arrests and detentions of members of the opposition coalition, the National Salvation Union (USN) and the constant harassment suffered by members of political parties and civil society in Djibouti.

On 3 December 2015, as members of the opposition coalition, the National Salvation Union (USN) were going to Ali Sabieh for meetings, they were stopped for a police control during which one of them, Mohamed Abdallah Dabaleh, was fired tear gas to his chest, leaving him unconscious.

Alkarama and the Djibouti Human Rights League (LDDH) call again on the Djiboutian authorities to release the opponents arrested in the recent months and arbitrarily detained since. While justice was done regarding the release request for five minors detained since their arrests in early November, many people, including Mahamoud Guedi Moussa, are still detained for having expressed their opposition to a fourth consecutive term of the current president.

On 12 November 2015, Alkarama and the Djiboutian League for Human Rights (LDDH) sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Peaceful Assembly and Association (SR FPAA) following the recent waves of arrests in Djibouti. The arrests have affected many young people, including minors, of which 13 remain detained in particularly difficult conditions in the premises of the gendarmerie or at the Gabode prison.

On 11 October 2015, the Djibouti Court of Appeal accepted the request to release the young members of the Union for National Salvation (USN) − the opposition coalition − and the Opposition Youth Movement (MJO), as well as two USN leaders, arrested on 18 September for having participated in a demonstration and arbitrarily detained in Gabode prison since 4 October following a first instance trial.

Alkarama and the Djiboutian League for Human Rights (LDDH) deplore the decision of the Tribunal of Djibouti City, which sentenced, on 4 October 2015, Abdoulkarim Djama Guedi, Hamze Reyeh Hassan, Yahye Elmi Younis, Ibrahim Hassan Abdi and Said Ali Miguil to a conditional one year prison sentence for an alleged "illegal demonstration".

Alkarama and the Djiboutian Human Rights League (LDDH) reiterate their 22 September call on the Djiboutian authorities to release opposition members arrested by the police on 18 September 2015, during a peaceful demonstration in the southwestern city of Dikhil.

On 22 September 2015, Alkarama and the Djiboutian League for Human Rights (LDDH) sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (SR FPAA) regarding the arbitrary arrest of several people by the gendarmerie during repression launched on 18 September 2015, which affected many peaceful demonstrators and political opponents in the south-western city of D

On the occasion of its 114th session, that took place in June and July 2015, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) adopted the report of the Special Rapporteur for follow-up on

On 25 June 2015, Alkarama contacted the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (SR FRDX) regarding the arrest of three supporters of the opposition coalition and of the Auditor General of the Djiboutian League for Human Rights (LDDH), which took place during a peaceful rally in Djibouti City on 6 June 2015.