{"id":14868,"date":"2024-09-04T14:34:36","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T14:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/?p=14868"},"modified":"2024-09-07T13:43:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T13:43:13","slug":"un-condemns-execution-of-four-young-people-for-crimes-committed-as-minor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/2024\/09\/04\/un-condemns-execution-of-four-young-people-for-crimes-committed-as-minor\/","title":{"rendered":"UN condemns execution of four young people for crimes committed as minor in Som.."},"content":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU —<\/strong> United Nations experts have strongly condemned the execution of four young adults on August 17, 2024, in Galkayo, Puntland, Somalia, for crimes committed during their association with the militant group al-Shabab.<\/p>\n

Puntland Age Verification Committee confirmed that four young men were under 18 years of age at the time of their offences.<\/p>\n

The UN officials emphasized that the executions violate international and domestic laws that protect children from capital punishment. They cited the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and Somalia\u2019s Provisional Constitution, all of which define a child as any person under the age of 18.<\/p>\n

Somalia ratified the CRC in 2015, and Article 37(a) of the Convention expressly prohibits the death penalty for minors.<\/p>\n

The UN experts urged\u00a0Puntland\u00a0and the Federal Government of Somalia to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims rather than criminals. They called for an end to the prosecution of minors in military courts and stressed the importance of adhering to the Puntland Juvenile Justice Act and Somalia\u2019s broader child protection commitments.<\/p>\n

The officials\u00a0called\u00a0for the immediate release of all children currently in detention, advocating for their reintegration into society with the support of the United Nations. They highlighted that detention should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible duration, urging the authorities to seek alternatives that align with the child’s best interests.<\/p>\n

The UN experts also encouraged Puntland to amend its Anti-Terrorism Act to align with the Puntland Juvenile Justice Act, ensuring the legal definition of a child is consistent across all legislation.<\/p>\n

The officials reiterated that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance, as outlined in the CRC and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They emphasized that in times of armed conflict, children are the most vulnerable and require the highest levels of protection and care. The detention and harsh treatment of children, especially those associated with armed groups, is unacceptable and perpetuates a cycle of victimization in conflict zones.<\/p>\n

Somalia\u2019s semiautonomous state of Puntland\u00a0executed\u00a0ten members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab. The execution by firing squad was carried out by the police in the north-central city of Galkayo, the administrative capital of the Mudug region.<\/p>\n

Source: HOL\u00a0 \u00a0Origin: View original<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU — United Nations experts have strongly condemned the execution of four young adults on August 17, 2024, in Galkayo, Puntland, Somalia, for crimes committed during their association with the militant group al-Shabab. Puntland Age Verification Committee confirmed that four young men were under 18 years of age at the time of their offences. The …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1,15,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-international-humanitarian-law","category-news","category-press-releases","category-protection-cluster"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t