Two female musicians who were arrested in Somaliland on April 20, 2020 remain in police custody despite acquittal by a Hargeisa court.
The two singers, who were identified as Barwaaqo Mohamed Haashi and Hamda Yusuf Ibrahim, were acquitted by a regional court.
However, the Human Rights Center Somaliland reports that police are yet to release the two women from custody.
Barwaaqo and Hamda were arrested on April 20, 2020 after returning to Hargeisa from a trip to Mogadishu where they performed at a concert.
The Human Rights Center and other organizations criticized the decision to arrest them terming the charges preferred against them “unconstitutional.”
Consequently, the human rights organization has called on the government to adhere to the court order by facilitating their release from prison immediately.