The Dijoubti Human Rights League, founded in 1999, is a human rights organisation which for security reasons works semi-clandestinely. It has a low number of known activists. Its sources of information are varied and very discreet (especially those who work in the administration). The core work of the organisation is carried out by a team of volunteers, who document the various physical and psychological threats, produce reports and analyses some of which are jointly produced with trade unionists and opposition figures who are committed to human rights. In addition the organisation also tracks government decisions and policies which impact negatively on the population.

"I was born on 2nd July 1947 in Djibouti to a Catholic Somalian family. Following my involvement in the struggle for independence alongside the leaders of the African Popular League for Independence (LPAI), I was a Member of Parliament between 1977 and December 1997.

In 1999, I left politics when I resigned from the Parliamentary Group for Democracy and the Republic (GDR) of which I as a founding member and spokesperson. I immediately opted for the defense of human rights by establishing the Djibouti League of Human Rights (LDDH) as violations and arbitrary imprisonment of FRUD leaders as well as forced disappearances were in full swing during the internal conflict. This was accompanied by the unacceptable repression of the people in the North and West of our country by the government-led armed forces.

Since this time I have been working for the defense and respect for human rights, fighting against impunity, the embezzlement of public property, fighting for social justice for transparency in the electoral process. During my time in parliament while I was the Secretary of the Office of the National Parliament of the Djibouti Republic each time that I expressed opinions that were in contradiction with the interests of the party of which I was a member, the political police led directly by the Presidential Cabinet, tried to intimidate me by shadowing me constantly.

This shadowing intensified in 1996 when I established with other MPs a parliamentary group, the GDR, which quickly became a political movement of the opposition and whose leaders spoke out against the dictatorial behaviour of the President in power at this time. It is regrettable that this same dictatorial behaviour is still evident with an: increase in corruption, embezzlement of public property, national heritage, illegal trafficking and all of this occurring within a context of impunity at the highest level of the government. It is within this context of lack of respect for the law and lack of freedom to speak out publicly about real facts that almost all human rights defenders work in semi-underground circumstances in Djibouti. This partially clandestine behaviour happens in a country where the dictatorship can use the police and the courts to arbitrarily detain a human rights defender and create a climate of fear.

The day before my 60th birthday, I was sentenced to one years imprisonment in Gabode. But before this let me present you with the facts and procedures relating to my imprisonment in Gabode between 10th March and 11th April 2007. I was followed and falsely accused of publishing false news and for defamation in the following publications:

• That I published on 14th February 2007 a newsletter outlining the discovery of a mass grave in Day where seven bodies had been revealed by the recent rain;
• That in January 1994 I published a report sent to the Head of Government, during my time as President of the Parliamentary Enquiry Commission in the conflict zones, concerning the forced disappearance of seven victims including some who were executed there by the armed forces;
• That I published on 3rd March 2007 a press release about the rape of a young girl, who was deaf and dumb, by two individuals including a Sergeant of the Republican Guard who was responsible for the security of the Residence of the Head of Government in Day;
• That I was arrested on 10th March 2007 by the Criminal Brigade and was put immediately into police custody, with no opportunity for 5 days to present evidence of the facts.

For the distribution of these two pieces of information I was sentenced on 18th March 2007 by the Court of Misdemeanors (and not of crimes of opinion and expression) to six months closed imprisonment; the same day I was imprisoned, I filed an appeal to the court.

On 11th April 2007, the Court sentenced me to 12 months imprisonment including one month of closed imprisonment. My barristers immediately filed for an appeal against this increase in imprisonment from 6 to 12 months which is contrary to criminal procedures;

My imprisonment finished on 11th April 2007."