The human rights group Amnesty International is calling on the international community to intervene on behalf of a woman facing execution in the Puntland region of Somalia. The group says Ifraah Ali Aden is in imminent danger of being executed for the murder of another woman.
Benedicte Goderiaux is researcher for the Africa program of Amnesty International in London. She saidthis case is different from other cases of pending executions. "Amnesty International is particularly worried because the accused is reportedly pregnant," she said. "No checks have been made on her to confirm her pregnancy and both international law and Islamic law forbid the execution of pregnant women and new mothers."
The second concern is that Ifraah was tried the day after the killing and would not have had time to prepare an adequate defense." Goderiaux says Amnesty is urging authorities to ensure that she is given adequate legal representation and immediate access to a doctor to determine whether she is pregnant.
Ifraah is accused of murdering Suad Mohamed Aware with a knife in Bossaso. Ifraah's relatives say it was self-defense, while relatives of Suad say Ifraah intentionally attacked Suad out of jealousy. Both women were wives of the same husband.