Galkayo (Halbeeg News) – Puntland authorities have denied claims by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) that it executed four minors recently in Galkayo.
In a statement, UNICEF had said that four among the 10 individuals recently executed in the region were minors at the time of they committed the alleged crimes.
The executions took place on August 17, when ten men were put to death by firing squad.
The court stated that these men were linked to Al-Shabaab and had been involved in killings in Galkayo.
But in a rejoinder, Puntland’s Information minister Mahmoud Aydid Dirir while denying the claims by UNICEF stated that the executions were carried out in accordance with legal procedures
He added that Puntland security officials conducted a rigorous investigations and that the case multiple reviews by various courts.
He further stated that the convicted individuals were given a three-year window to appeal their sentences.
“The public can be assured that none of those executed were under the age of 30. Their ages and identities were carefully verified to ensure they were adults, and they voluntarily confessed to their crimes,” Dirir said.
UNICEF condemned the executions, asserting that the individuals were under 18 years old when they committed the alleged offences.
They criticized the use of military courts, which it argued lack the specialized procedures necessary for juvenile cases.
The United Nations agency pointed to findings from the Puntland Age Verification Committee, which included representatives from the regional government.
“These executions reflect a serious breach of both Puntland’s Juvenile Law and Somalia’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” UNICEF said in a statement.
Additional reporting by agencies
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