Somaliland Government Arrest Local Journalist

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the arrest yesterday by police in the breakaway autonomous region of Somaliland in northern Somalia, of Mohamed Abdi Guled, editor of the privately-owned weekly Yool appearing in Hargeisa. The journalist is being held on the premises of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Several journalists in Hargeisa said that Mohamed Abdi Guled, better known as “Urad”, was probably arrested as a result of the publication of an article on 24 February, exposing planned murder attempts against Somaliland’s parliamentary deputies, leaders of opposition parties and traditional chiefs.

“This arrest is illegal, since Somaliland’s media law lays down that the authorities can only arrest a journalist on the order of a court,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

“In these circumstances and knowing that no charge has brought against Mohamed Abdi Guled, he should logically be immediately released”, the organisation said.

His fellow journalists also said that the incident, forcing Urad to spend the weekend in custody without going before a court, was aimed at “intimidating the entire journalist community of Somaliland”.

Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland).

Source: Reporters Without Borders

Published by: AllAfrica

Published by: Qalinle Hussein

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