Express & Star

Controversial poet freed after Bill steps in

A British citizen who was detained in Somaliland for allegedly criticising the country’s police force has been freed following an appeal by a West Midlands MEP.

Published
Bill Etheridge with poet Abdirahman Abees (centre), his lawyer, Paul Brothwood and Janusz Niedzwiecki (right).

Somali-born poet Abdirahman Abees was held in the West African country’s capital, Hargeisa, after his arrest on January 12.

It came after he was accused of reciting a poem at a local hotel describing human rights abuses he had witnessed at a police station.

Londoner Mr Abees has now been freed by a court after he was visited by West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, who was in Somaliland on a fact-finding mission.

Mr Etheridge met with Mr Abees at the regional court in Hargeisa, where he presented court chairman Ahmed Dalmar with a letter calling for his release.

He said: “I was pleased to see that Mr Abees was in a good condition. He was very open and made it clear he had been given access to his legal team and was safe.

"He reported that his trial had been set up in a fair way and that he had been placed under no pressure from the court.

"As someone experienced with dealing with the issues around Somaliland I wanted to use all I could to help find a solution for this case.

“Somaliland is moving forward on its path towards to recognition and we don’t want any incidents setting it back.

"I was pleased to see the focus on Human Rights in the country and how Mr Abees has been treated."

Commenting on Mr Abees' release Mr Etheridge said: "I am pleased that he has been announced he has has been found innocent and is being released from prison.

"The decision has given me confidence in the court system of Somaliland."

The MEP was accompanied on his visit by Janusz Niedzwiecki, the president of the European Council on Democracy and Human Rights, and former Dudley councillor Paul Brothwood.

The case was highlighted by Amnesty International, which said authorities should focus on investigating the mistreatments Mr Abees describes in his poems instead of "harassing" critics.

Mr Abees' lawyer told the BBC that his client's poem called on the Somaliland government to reform its prisons and criminal justice systems and was not defamatory.

"He did not insult anybody," Guled Ahmed Jamac said. The themes that his client was raising "are important issues which concern us all", he added.

Mr Abees' poetry often causes controversy as it discusses issues including police brutality, arbitrary detention and the treatment of prisoners.

Somaliland declared itself independent in 1991, but it is not recognised internationally.