Pursuit of justice
Almost every word in your editorial has parallels to the racist murder and trial in Edinburgh in 1989 of Axmed Abuukar Sheekh, a Somali student at Stevenson College. This case resulted in three arrests, two prosecutions but only one conviction – for assault and for possession of a knife, but not for murder.
There was strong evidence of racial motivation and, after the trial, there were public demands for an investigation into the outcome.
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Hide AdIt is accepted that reviewing such cases will not be easy and may not be welcome to some, but for the good name of Scottish justice, and in recognition of the fact that racism in many forms still exists to be tackled, it is essential that these cases are indeed made visible and reflected upon.
Joan Weir
The Axmed Abuukar Sheekh Commemorative Group
Edinburgh