Sunday September 7, 2025
The Royal Courts of Justice in London, home to the Family Division of the High Court, which granted protection to a British teenager who fled Somalia after threats over apostasy. CREDIT / Wikipedia
LONDON, United Kingdom (HOL) — A British teenager has been placed under High Court protection after escaping Somalia, where he said he faced death threats from relatives and community members for renouncing Islam.
The ruling, delivered July 17 by Mr. Justice MacDonald, declared the 16-year-old boy, identified only as “M”, a ward of court. The judge concluded that M’s “fundamental rights to life and freedom from torture” were at grave risk and that immediate protection was necessary.
M told the court he had been taken from Britain to Mogadishu by his mother six years ago, after she confiscated his passport. He said he was forced to attend religious lessons, beaten when disobedient, and threatened with placement in a Dhaqan Celis facility, re-education centers where abuse has been documented. One of his brothers was allegedly chained and beaten in such a center.
With the help of sympathizers online, M connected with a British law firm. His solicitor, James Netto, secured emergency travel documents from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. On July 15, M reached the British Embassy office inside Mogadishu’s secure zone to collect the papers. He boarded a flight the following day via Istanbul and was met in the UK by a social worker, who placed him in local authority care.
M told the court he had received explicit death threats online and from relatives after questioning his faith. In one message, he was warned, “It’s just a matter of days until we find out where you are … we will not let you rest.”
The High Court heard evidence from human rights reports detailing how suspected apostates in Somalia face imprisonment, abuse, and even execution. Justice MacDonald said the risk to M’s life was real and compounded by the lack of functioning child protection systems in Somalia.
In a rare move, the court issued a “without notice” order, meaning M’s parents were not informed beforehand, citing fears they could block his escape. While parents hold rights to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the judge ruled that those were outweighed by M’s absolute rights under Articles 2 and 3 to life and protection from torture.
“M’s circumstances are sufficiently compelling to make it necessary for this court to exercise its protective jurisdiction,” the judgment read.