ソマリア：白い砂浜で最期の時を

　あるいはソマリアの司法・処刑担当部署はなかなかに人道と風流とを解するのかもしれない。彼らは早朝、海辺に出て、白い砂浜を前に死刑囚たちに最期の時を過ごさせ―

「Executions usually take place early in the morning, between 06:00 and 07:00.」

　―そこで銃撃する。銃殺なもので、そこにポストを立てて、それに死刑囚を縛り付けるのだ。そうして近くに埋葬する。
　時にその死刑囚縛り付け用の棒6本は、まあまあサッカーゴールに便利な感じであって、少年たちがサッカー遊びをする際に転用するのだそうだ。

BBC Somalia's football pitch that doubles as an execution ground 12 hours ago
By Naima Said Salah

「On a beach in the Somali capital, Mogadishu stand six tall concrete posts planted in the pure white sand. The waves of the bright blue Indian Ocean break gently nearby - and often bear witness to some grim events.」

「Every so often the security forces bring men to this place, tie them to the posts with plastic ropes, place black hoods over their heads and shoot them dead.

The members of the specially trained firing squad also have their faces hidden.

The dead men's heads flop down but their bodies remain upright, lashed to the poles. Their ragged shirts and sarongs flap in the breeze.」

　死刑囚たちはal Shababの構成員、同僚や市民を殺した兵士。さらには離婚を求めた妻を家屋に閉じ込め生きたまま焼き殺した外道とか。あーまあ、刑法の規定や量刑の相場にもよるけど、そりゃ死刑もあるわなという犯罪群ですが。専用の・ちゃんと囲った死刑場とかないんか君たち。

「Some have been convicted by the military court of belonging to the Islamist group al-Shabab, which has spread terror in Somalia for nearly 20 years and controls large parts of the country.

Others are soldiers found guilty of murdering civilians or colleagues. Occasionally the court deals with common criminals sentenced to death because their offences are so serious.

At least 25 people were executed on the beach last year.」

　昨年は25人を死刑に処した場所だそうで。…血は流れるし、遺体がその辺にあるとなると、そりゃあ衛生的な心配がありますわな。子供たちには、あんまり遊んでほしくはない。

「"As soon as my five little boys come home from school, they rush down to the beach to run about or play football," says Fartun Mohammed Ismail, one of the shoreside residents of the old police training centre.」

「"They use the execution poles as goalposts," she says.」

　とはいえ素敵な砂浜であるのは間違いなく、映えスポットとしても機能する場所。話は角度を変えつつ1～2周回って、なんかそういう場所で死なせ埋葬するのは、ちょいと人道的な気がしてこなくもない。