Paris, Nairobi, Djibouti, April 18, 2023. Moustapha Ahmed Ali, coordinator for the Djiboutian political party, Mouvement pour le Renouveau Démocratique et le Développement (MRD) in Europe, was arbitrarily arrested by Djiboutian intelligence services. He was seized on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 8:00 am, when he arrived at Djibouti airport. On Tuesday, April 18, he was still in detention.
Belgian and Djiboutian citizen, Moustapha Ahmed Ali is the secretary general of the Mouvement pour le Renouveau Démocratique et le Développement (MRD) federation in Belgium and coordinator of the political movement in Europe. Currently in exile in Belgium, he was on his way to Djibouti to visit his family. Moustapha Ahmed Ali was arrested on his way out of the plane and is still being held in detention, despite the legal deadline of 48 hours.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Ligue djiboutienne des droits de l’Homme (LDDH) are concerned about this arbitrary detention: no explanation has been given to justify the detention of Mustapha Ahmed Ali. Moreover, in violation of the Djibouti Code of Criminal Procedure, he has no access to a lawyer or a doctor and his family has not been able to visit him for four days. Everything suggests that he is being held for political reasons. The regime’s use of the judicial system for political purposes shows its constant violation of separation of powers.
The absence of political plurality and freedom of expression in Djibouti requires attention. FIDH and LDDH had already denounced the constant threats against opposition parties and the harassment they face. In 2008, the MRD was dissolved by presidential decree. Despite a 2020 UN Human Rights Committee decision requiring the withdrawal of the decree, the ruling government continues to prevent the party from re-registering. The authorities are thus preventing its members from freely exercising their political activity in Djibouti.
Last month, the arrest and deportation of FIDH’s vice-president, who was MRD’s lawyer for this procedure before the UN body, while on a mission for FIDH to assess the situation of human rights defenders in the country, testifies to the authorities’ disregard for respect for international human rights law and their desire to restrict fundamental rights and freedoms.
The International Federation for Human Rights and the Ligue djiboutienne des droits de l’Homme once again alert on the non-respect of the principles of the rule of law, democratic plurality and human rights by the Djibouti regime.
In light of this situation, our organisations call on the Djiboutian authorities to :
– release Moustapha Ahmed Ali, coordinator of the Mouvement pour le Renouveau Démocratique et le Développement (MRD), whose arbitrary detention has lasted since Thursday, April 13, 2023;
– put an end to the violation of fundamental rights and freedoms in the country;
– implement the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Committee regarding the Mouvement pour le Renouveau Démocratique et le Développement (MRD) and its president;
– respect democratic principles and rules, including the guarantee of the constitutional separation of powers and the end of the instrumentalisation of justice for political purposes.
Source link : https://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/djibouti/djibouti-arbitrary-arrest-of-another-political-opponent
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Publish date : 2023-04-18 07:00:00
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