“The convictions were imposed by a military court, which does not have procedures for children,” UNICEF underlined in the statement.
UNICEF expressed its “deep sadness” yesterday Thursday at the execution in Somalia of four youths who were allegedly members of the jihadist organization Shebab.
The United Nations Children’s Fund criticized the executions, which took place in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland (north) over the weekend, for crimes they allegedly committed while under the age of 18.
“The convictions were handed down by a military court, which does not have procedures for children,” UNICEF said in a press release.
The UN agency urges “the Puntland authorities to treat children associated with armed organizations as victims” and that there be a “review of existing judicial procedures to ensure that children are not tried in military courts”.
A total of ten Shebab members were shot dead on Saturday, sentenced to death by a military court in Puntland for killings and bombings in the town of Galkayo, according to Somali media.
Shebab (“Youth”) has been fighting for more than 17 years to overthrow the fragile federal government in Mogadishu.
Amnesty International noted in its most recent annual report on the death penalty that 38 people were executed in Somalia in 2023, compared to 6 in 2022.
According to the NGO, the five countries where the authorities carried out the most executions in 2023 are China, where it estimated that there were thousands, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the USA.
Source :Skai
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