A group of Christians in Somaliland have been released from detention after charges against them relating to offenses against the state religion of Islam were dismissed.
Among them were Mohamed and Hamdi, a couple who were arrested with their newborn baby in late January.
Hargeisa, the capital city of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, where the Christian converts had charges against them dismissed by a regional court.
In April, six Christian converts from Islam were charged with apostasy, teaching and spreading Christianity, as well as inciting others to commit public-order offenses.
In a hearing at a regional court in Hargeisa, the capital city, on August 5, the court dismissed all charges. Mohamed, Hamdi and others were released immediately.
There are fears that the verdict may have negative repercussions for Somaliland’s tiny Christian community, particularly given a recent call by a Senate committee to apply sharia (Islamic law) in apostasy cases.
Islam is the official religion of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. Its constitution prohibits Muslims from converting to another religion, bars the propagation of any religion other than Islam, and stipulates all laws must comply with the general principles of sharia.
