Protesters demand justice in murder case

David Joles, Star Tribune

Elyas Werku, front, and Hindia Ali, right, were among those rallying outside City Hall Friday, after charges were recently dismissed against the suspect in the fatal shooting of Ahmednur Ali, 20, Hindia's brother, who was murdered outside the Brian Coyle Center.

With charges dismissed in the killing of Ahmednur Ali, his family seeks witnesses and answers.

By LORA PABST, Star Tribune

Last update: June 13, 2009 - 10:15 PM

The family of an Augsburg college student gunned down last fall outside a Minneapolis community center had planned to sit in a courtroom this month, listening to the trial of the teenage suspect.

Instead, the family of 20-year-old Ahmednur Ali marched Friday outside of the Minneapolis Police Department, calling for justice and answers in the murder case, which ended this month when a judge dismissed the charge against the suspect.

"I already forgave [the suspect], but I need justice," said Asha Hagi-Mohamed, Ali's mother. "I know that my son is not coming back, but this violence has to stop."

The group of mostly young people who marched and chanted in front of the department and later at a popular Somali mall said their message was not just for the authorities, but also for their peers. Several college students from the organization Students Against Violence held up messages on poster board that they said were a direct plea to other Somali young people. One read "Fear no man, fear Allah," which the students said was a reminder of Islamic teachings that say witnesses of crimes should speak up.

The second-degree murder charge against 17-year-old Ramadan Shiekh Osman was dropped after witnesses recanted their statements about what happened the night of Sept. 22 at the Brian Coyle Center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Osman had pleaded not guilty. His public defender did not return a call for comment.

Minneapolis police said the issue of witness fear is not exclusive to the Somali community, and they are working to address concerns of safety for anyone who wants to talk to authorities.

"The goal is to have ... people who will honestly speak to what they saw," said Minneapolis police Capt. Amelia Huffman. "We can't force someone to tell us something they don't want to tell us."

The case remains open, and investigators will look for other witnesses who either haven't come forward or who might have more information, she said. Police had tried to keep in contact with the initial witnesses, but at least one moved out of state. Several city and law enforcement officials attended Friday's rally.

Hindia Ali, sister of Ahmednur Ali, said she was in disbelief when prosecutors told her days before the trial was scheduled to begin that the witnesses were backing out. She was hoping that the trial could be delayed while police looked for more witnesses.

"We actually heard the judge say 'You are a free man,'" she said. "What kind of a system is this to let a suspect walk out?"

While she waits for answers in her brother's case, she said she is concerned about the unsolved murders of at least seven other young Somali men in the past couple of years. One of those cases is set to go trial Monday in Hennepin County District Court. Hassan Mohamed Abdillahi is accused of killing 21-year-old Abdishakur Hassan on Sept. 29 as revenge for the April shooting death of his cousin.

"If none of these guys gets convicted, they will not stop killing," Ali said. "But if they know someone gets convicted, they will stop."

Daud Osman, Ali's brother-in-law, said he is working with the family's religious leader Imam Hassan Mohamud to persuade witnesses to step forward.

"We have to come together and talk about what's wrong in the community," he said.

Huffman said the department will continue working to build collaborative parternerships with the Somali community. She said she is encouraged by groups such as Students Against Violence.

During the march Friday afternoon around the Karmel Mall, Hindia Ali beckoned bystanders to join the group. Some of them turned away and shook their heads, but she said she remained hopeful that witnesses would come forward and her brother's case would be brought to trial.

"I'm not giving up hope on the criminal justice system," Ali said. "I'm not giving up hope on my community, either. There is no life without hope."

Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

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