Dear Friends,
I am writing to share some exciting news. After over seven years of litigation, which has featured two appeals, including one that went all the way to the Supreme Court, and travel to six countries ranging from the U.S. to Djibouti to Somaliland, with stops in Italy, England, and Switzerland - our case against General Mohamed Samantar is finally going to trial.
As you may know, this is the first case to go to trial that will seek to hold any member of the former Siad Barre regime responsible for the countless atrocities that were inflicted on innocent civilians in Somalia in the 1980s. During the 1980s, General Samantar served as the highest ranking military official in the country and held the positions of Defense Minister, First Vice President, and Prime Minister. He was Siad Barre's right-hand and the commander of the armed forces that unleashed the campaign of terror.
For more on the case, click here.
Along with pro bono co-counsel Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, we are very honored to represent our four clients who have persevered in their effort to seek justice.
The trial is set to start on February 21. We anticipate that the trial will last approximately two weeks. We would be delighted if you are able to attend some of the proceedings. If not, be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. The trial will take place at Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse, 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA. If you have any questions please e-mail [email protected].
Sincerely,
Pamela Merchant
Executive Director
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On the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after oral aruments, we ultimately had a 9-0 victory in Samantar v. Yousuf in 2010 (l to r): CJA Client Aziz Deria, Sabah Dahir Yousuf, CJA Client Bashe Yousuf, CJA Executive Director Pamela Merchant; CJA Board Member Beth Stephens, CJA Legal Director Andrea Evans.
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