Mohamed Houmed Soulleh was taken to court on 18 October to face charges of defaming the Minister of Defence and spreading false information. As president of the Association pour la defense des droits de l’homme et des libertes (ADDHL) he had criticised the army for human rights abuses in the civil war in the north. On 25 October the magistrate convicted him and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 Djibouti Francs. His defence lawyer is appealing. He is held in Gabode prison, and was recently on hunger-strike over conditions there. He has now been allowed access to his family, lawyer and medical attention. He is a prisoner of conscience.
