The Banadir Regional Court has sentenced Saadiyo Moalin Ali (Sacdiya Bajaaj), who had been held in Mogadishu’s central prison for nearly 80 days, to three years in prison.
The decision was announced during a court session presided over by the president of the Banadir Regional Court, Saleh Ali Mohamud.
The president said that the court had found Saadiyo guilty of some of the charges brought against her by the prosecution, which formed the basis for the three-year sentence.
The court also said that Saadiyo has the right to appeal the decision.
The sentencing hearing was attended by a number of Bajaj drivers working in Mogadishu. Saadiyo Moalin Ali was among the women who operate Bajaj motorcycles in the Somali capital.
Saadiyo was arrested earlier this year, accused of acts that the government described as socially inciting and statements posted on social media that were said to be against public security and government officials. Human rights groups and some of her supporters have argued that her arrest was related to her peaceful expression of views and grievances about living conditions, fuel prices, unemployment and other issues affecting society.
No further details were released about the legal grounds on which the court based its sentence, and her lawyer is expected to address her sentence, as Saadiyo has the opportunity to appeal the court’s decision.