Kadar Abdi Ibrahim
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2018-031-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2018
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 11.825138
Longitude: 42.590275
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Djibouti
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic
- Dates of prior UN action
- 24 juillet 2018
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
a professor, journalist and human rights defender,
- Type of rights defended
- Unclear in SG Report
- Was the victim a civil servant, member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
conducted advocacy activities in Geneva, and presented a joint NGO submission prior to the universal periodic review of Djibouti
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
- UN Human Rights Council: UPR
- Dates of engagement
- April 2018; May 2018
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 15 avril 2018
- Reprisal information
two days after returning from Geneva, it was reported that he was briefly detained and had his passport confiscated by Secret Service agents who raided his home. The Secret Service agents gave no reason for his arrest and confiscation of his passport. Mr. Ibrahim has since been unable to leave the country. As a result, he was unable to participate in the review of Djibouti by the Working Group on the universal periodic review held on 10 May 2018.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Property damage/raid/search/confiscation
- Detention/Imprisonment: Release within a day
- Travel restriction
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
Mr. Ibrahim has since been unable to leave the country. As a result, he was unable to participate in the review of Djibouti by the Working Group on the universal periodic review held on 10 May 2018. Four Member States expressed their concern to the Government of Djibouti during its examination by the universal periodic review in May 2018.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 5
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2019
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
The case of Mr. Kadar Adbi Ibrahim, professor, journalist and human rights defender, was included in the 2018 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/39/41, para. 37 and Annex, para. 31) because he was unable to participate in the UPR review of Djibouti in May 2018. Four Member States expressed their concern during the UPR session (see A/HRC/39/10, paras. 54, 64, 84 and 104). In July 2018, three special procedures mandate holders raised concerns about his arrest and the confiscation of his passport upon his return to Djibouti from Geneva in April 2018, where he had conducted advocacy activities ahead of the UPR of Djibouti (DJI 1/2018, and A/HRC/40/60/Add.1, paras. 19, 50). On 24 September 2018, the Government responded indicating that Mr. Ibrahim had been placed under surveillance due to his close connections with extremist movements in the country and that in 2016 Mr. Ibrahim was convicted in violation of national legislation. 129 41. On 15 March 2019, the Assistant Secretary-General addressed allegations of continued reprisals against Mr. Ibrahim as it was reported he continued to be unable to travel with his passport confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sedimentation (SDS). Mr. Ibrahim has brought concerns to the attention of the National Prosecutor’s Office, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Office of the Mediator of the Republic to no avail.
- Followup Trends 0
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes
- Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
- Assistant Secretary-General
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2020
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
The case of Mr. Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, of the Mouvement pour la démocratie et la liberté (MoDEL) was included in the 2019 (A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, paras. 40–41) and 2018 (A/HRC/39/41, para. 37 and Annex I, para. 31) reports of the Secretary-General related to his engagement with the UPR review of Djibouti in May 2018 (DJI 1/2018). 32 43. It was reported to OHCHR that, as of May 2020, Mr. Ibrahim’s passport remains confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sedimentation (SDS), to whom Mr. Ibrahim had made multiple inquiries. He is reportedly prevented from directly engaging with partners and actors outside the country, including the UN. In August 2019, Mr. Ibrahim sent another letter to the SDS, followed by an in-person visit to its headquarters a week later, but was refused a request to meet with its Director.
- Followup Trends 1
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 1
- No
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 2
- 2021
- Follow up information provided in SG report 2
- The case of Mr. Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, of the Mouvement pour la démocratie et la liberté (MoDEL) was included in the 2020, 2019 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General144 on allegations of passport confiscation related to his engagement with the UPR review of Djibouti in May 2018 (DJI 1/2018).145 In September 2018, the Government indicated that Mr. Ibrahim had been placed under surveillance due to suspicion of connection with extremist movements. According to information received by OHCHR, as of 30 April 2021, Mr. Ibrahim’s passport remains confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sécurité (SDS), to whom he has made multiple inquiries. According to information received, the prolongation of the travel ban in place since 2018 reportedly obstructs Mr. Ibrahim from undertaking his human rights work and prevents him from directly engaging with partners and actors outside the country, including the UN.
- On 12 August 2021, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, reiterating that Mr. Ibrahim continues his anti-constitutional and illegal activities and remains at the head of a religious organization which aims to recruit vulnerable people into its network. The Government stated that this organization receives funds from abroad and has connections with extremist movements and it therefore reserves the right to restrict his movements.
- Followup Trends 2
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 2
- Yes
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 3
- 2022
- Follow up information provided in SG report 3
- The case of Mr. Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, of the Mouvement pour la démocratie et la liberté (MoDEL), was included in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General on allegations of passport confiscation by the authorities related to his engagement with the UPR review of Djibouti in May 2018 (DJI 1/2018). In 2021, the Government responded stating that Mr. Ibrahim continues his anti-constitutional and illegal activities, that MoDEL receives funds from abroad and has connections with extremist movements, and it therefore reserves the right to restrict his movements.
- According to information received by OHCHR, as of 30 April 2022, Mr. Ibrahim’s passport remains confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sécurité (SSD), which has hindered his human rights work and prevented further cooperation with the United Nations. The lack of passport reportedly forced Mr. Ibrahim to decline invitations during the reporting period to directly engage with partners and actors outside the country
- Followup Trends 3
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 3
- No
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 4
- 2023
- Follow up information provided in SG report 4
- The case of Mr. Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, of the Mouvement pour la démocratie et la liberté (MoDEL), has been included since 2018 in the reports of the Secretary-General66 on allegations of passport confiscation by the authorities related to his engagement with the Universal Periodic Review of Djibouti in May 2018.67 In 2021, the Government responded noting that Mr. Ibrahim continues his anti-constitutional and illegal activities, that MoDEL receives funds from abroad and has connections with extremist movements, and it therefore reserves the right to restrict his movements.68 According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. Ibrahim has reportedly not received any official notification during the period regarding the status of his passport and/ or the restrictions on his right to freedom of movement. As of 30 April 2023, Mr. Ibrahim’s passport remains confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sécurité (SSD), which continues to hinder his human rights work and obstructs his engagement with the United Nations.
- Followup Trends 4
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 4
- No