The Somali government has expelled two European Union employees accused of unlawfully taking photographs of prisoners at a detention center. Following a request from Somali Attorney General Sulayman Mohamed Mohamud, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to remove the two individuals from the country. The workers, Jacek Jozef Ochman from Poland and Ralf Bernhard Gehlig from Germany were accused of violating the laws and rules of Somalia and interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
The Somali government demanded that the European Union expel the two men within 72 hours, and they reportedly left the country on Tuesday. The individuals were associated with the European Union Capability Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia).
Sources indicate that the expulsions are connected to the detention of Iranian boats and 36 fishermen accused of illegal fishing in Somali waters, primarily comprising Iranians. According to a letter from Mohamud to Minister of Foreign Affairs Abshir Omar Jama, Ochman, and Gehlig allegedly visited the prisoners on April 30 and secretly took photographs of them at a detention center belonging to the Somali maritime police at Mogadishu’s airport. The letter claims their actions violated the Somali penal code by secretly photographing prisoners at a security facility to defame the nation’s reputation and dignity. It further alleges that Ochman, as the leader of the EU team, ordered the pictures, while Gehlig took them.
The attorney general requested the Foreign Ministry to remove the individuals from Somalia due to their immunity, which prevents them from facing criminal prosecution. VOA Somali reached out to the EU mission in Somalia and the attorney general for comments but has not received a response.
In March, the Somali Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources revealed that foreign vessels had been illegally fishing in Somalia’s exclusive economic zone since January 2023. While the ministry did not disclose the nations to which the ship belonged, it emphasized that they lacked access agreements and licenses from the Somali government. Illegal fishing poses a significant threat to Somalia’s fish stocks, food security, and marine ecology, leading the ministry to call on all foreign vessels engaged in illegal fishing to depart from Somali waters.
