JIGJIGA (Halbeeg News)-Ethiopia- Somali state parliament has revoked immunity of 12 its members amid the prosecution of the region former leader.
The move came as a result of human right activists and international organizations calling for accountability of the human rights violations they committed.
During the regular meeting of the Somali state council, the members decided to revoke the parliamentary immunity from twelve individuals.
According to Ethiopian local media, among those who lost the immunity are Mujib Mohammed, civil service bureau; Abdi Mohammed, livestock affairs bureau, Ahmed Abdi, finance bureau, Ferhan Abdi, water development bureau, Heber Abdi, head of trade & industry and Suat Mohamed, deputy chief administrator.
The move comes a day after the former regional president, Abdi Mohammed Omer pleaded not guilty to charges of instigating ethnic violence in an eastern region.
According to the prosecution, the government investigation found authorities presided over a litany of crimes including beheadings, torture, and mass rape.
Omer, who spent more than a decade in charge of Gas-rich eastern Somali province, is among 47 officials from the region accused of stoking violence that killed 58 people and injured over 260 in the provincial capital Jijiga in August.
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