Ogaden People Human Right Activitst, Ms. Bisharo Wa’di, is Handed to Ethiopian Security Services.
Human rights instruments provide protection against refoulement. The UN Convention 
against Torture, in Sub-article (l and 2) of Article 3 states that:
- “No State Party shall expel, return (refouler) or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
- “For the purpose of determining whether there are such grounds, the competent authorities shall take into account all relevant considerations including, where applicable, the existence in the State concerned of a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights.”
Reports has reached African Rights Monitor-ARM, that Ms. Bisharo Wa’adi, an Ogaden Women Democratic Association activist, who fled from Ethiopia to the neighboring province, Somaliland, as a refugee has been captured and detained by Somaliland authorities and handed to the Ethiopian Security Services (ESS) on February 10, 2010. Ms. Wa’adi lived in Hargaisa for the past two years as a refugee under the alias Shamsa Abdulahi Hirsi to disguise her identity from ESS after she escaped from JigJiga prison where she was unlawfully detained from October 2006 to January 2007. Prior to this latest arrest, Ms. Wa’adi was arrested and jailed multiple times where she was severely tortured psychologically, mentally and physically. Ms. Wa’adi’s body bears injuries that made her physically disabled and her mental anguish prevented her from leading a productive life.
Article 14 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that
“Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”.
ARM urgently appeals to the international human right agencies, the United Nations, and governing bodies, to condemn Ethiopia and Somaliland for these unlawful acts against innocent civilians that flee a country that does not respect nor protects the rights of its citizens. This is not the first reported renditions by ESS and the Somaliland forces against innocent Somali refugees and this violation of basic rights must be stopped and prisoners freed.
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Contact: Huda Yusuf FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Email: africanrightsmonitor@gmail.com
on February 26th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
As long as Muslims were confident they could not be defeated, but now we are just puppets. - Abu Bakar Bashir