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7 Journalists Arrested in a Week, 3 Still Held in Somaliland

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Committee to Protect Journalists

 

Press Release

Saturday, January 14, 2012

 

 

New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the recent spate of arrests of independent reporters in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland.

At least seven journalists have been arrested since last week, with three still in custody without being charged, local journalists said. According to Somaliland's constitution, a judge can authorize police to hold a suspect without charge for up to 21 days for further investigations.

 

"The spate of arrests sends a chilling message to the Somaliland press and demonstrates the government's intolerance of independent and critical reporting," said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. "Arrest and detention should not be the knee-jerk response of the authorities to reporting. The journalists should be charged or released immediately."

 

Somaliland authorities have detained Royal Television reporter Yusuf Ali (also known as "Indho Quru") without charge in the northwestern town of Borama since Sunday based on a complaint filed against him by the Africa Youth Development Association (AYODA), a local NGO, news reports said. The journalist had reported on the group's alleged misuse of funds, local journalists said. On Tuesday, a magistrate approved a police petition to extend Ali's detention for an additional 45-day period pending investigations, Royal TV reporter Mohamed Abdi Kahin, also known as "Bosh," told CPJ. He also said the court session lasted only minutes and that no witnesses were present.

 

On Wednesday, authorities in Borama detained Ali Ismail Aare, a journalist with the independent weekly Waheen, the Somaliland Journalists Association (SJA) reported. Aare was arrested after he took photographs of a gas station and building belonging to Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman Abdilahi, which residents complained was built incorrectly and encroached upon roads in the town, leaving no room for traffic or pedestrians, according to local journalists. Barkhad Mohamoud, SJA's executive member, said taking photographs of an edifice owned by a public official is not a criminal offense under Somaliland law, according to local journalists. The journalist has not been charged yet, news reports said, but he is expected in court on Saturday.

 

On Monday, Somaliland police arrested Abdiqani Hassan Farah ("Gadari"), a reporter for Universal TV in the Las Anod district of Sool region, news reports said. Local journalists said Farah had reported on a clan dispute.

 

Four other journalists were also arrested in Somaliland in the past week, but detained for only a short time. On Wednesday, Borama police's Criminal Investigation Department detained for questioning Mohamed Omar Sheikh, a reporter with the independent weekly Sahafi, Omar later told CPJ. The arrest was based on a complaint filed by members of the public regarding interviews published in Sahafi by Omar of members of the Somali diaspora calling for the Awdal region to separate from Somaliland. Police released Omar on bail on Thursday morning, he told CPJ.

 

Last week, Somaliland police arrested three journalists from private broadcasters Horn Cable TV, Somaliland TV, and Universal TV in the disputed Las Anod region of Somaliland for allegedly supporting youth groups who pose a threat to security in the region, according to local reports. Police released all three journalists the following day, local journalists said.

 

Source: CPJ

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Somalina   

Ciidamada Booliska Somaliland oo Gacantooda Ku Bakhtiiyeen Telefeshinka HORN CABLE TV iyo Shaqaalihii oo laga soo dareeriyey Xaruntii

 

HCTV.jpg

 

 

Hargeysa (Waaheen) Ciidamada Booliska ee Somaliland ayaa caawa Sacadu markii ay ahayd 8:15 Daqiiqo Sacada Geeska Afrika ayaa waxay gacatooda ku Bakhtiyeebn Telefeshinkii oo si toos ah Looga dawan jiran Daafaha Dunida, Waxayna wariayal Goobjoogayaal ahi sheegen in Ciidamau Xoog ku galeen Qolkii baahinta iyada oo uu Warkii Habeenimo uu si toos ah u socdo.Go’aankan ay Xukumadu ku xidhay Telefeshinka Horn Cable aayaa Noqonysa mid Lagu cabudhinayo Saxaafada Somaliland.

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Somaliland Shuts Down Private TV Channel

 

HARGEISA — Somaliland’s government ordered the shut down of the country’s oldest and most popular private television network on Saturday, in a bold violation of its pledges to respect freedom of expression during election campaigns.

 

Reliable sources told Somalilandpress by telephone that police armed with AK-47 assault rifles stormed the marketing and broadcasting offices of Horn Cable TV (HCTV) in the capital around 6:30 P.M. on Saturday. They subsequently ordered the on-duty operators to vacate and immediately took them away– they remain in custody until now. They further declared that the police also apprehended the director of HCTV Mohamed Abdi Sheekh (also known as “Ilig”) and is said to be behind bars now.

 

The closure came after the president blasted the network in his joint session of Parliament address on Saturday in which he accused the TV of spreading false information and propaganda. He said the network was taking the country into a vortex of violence by spreading incitement, hostility and feuds between opposing tribal units. Somalilandpress has learned that Abdullahi Mohamed Dahir, Presidential Spokesman, and Hirsi Ali haji Hasan, Minister for Presidency, jointly ordered the closure of the network.

 

Recently the government launched a massive crackdown against private media outlets in the country — arresting as many as seven in the past week, with three still believed to be in custody without being charged. The New York-based, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said it was alarmed by the sweeping arrests and attacks on journalists in the country. “The spate of arrests sends a chilling message to the Somaliland press and demonstrates the government’s intolerance of independent and critical reporting,” said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. He urged the government to end its brutal crackdown against the press. “Arrest and detention should not be the knee-jerk response of the authorities to reporting. The journalists should be charged or released immediately.”

 

Founded in 2003 in the capital, Hargeisa, HCTV is partly owned by the new disputed candidate leader of the opposition party of United Democratic People’s Party (UDUB), Jamal Ali Hussein. The government mainly targets HCTV and Waaheen newspaper, two private media who have close working relations with the opposition UDUB party.

 

The current crackdown against media is seen as a contradicting move by a government which declared its “commitment to freedom of the press” during election campaigns in mid-2010. It was one the reason Somalilanders cast their vote for President Silanyo’s Kulmiye party. However after a just over a year in the helm, it appears the honeymoon between Kulmiye and private media is over. During UDUB rule the media was targeted less even though private radios were banned — Somaliland became a safe heaven for journalists fleeing Somalia’s conflict and other regions.

 

Somalilandpress

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Simple people equals simple ideas.

 

Pirate boy, I dare you to go to any London street and claim you support the Taliban, and then see how free you are..lol

 

Any threats to the state will be met with an iron fist..

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Dervish   

Abokor Omar;774542 wrote:
Simple people equals simple ideas.

 

Pirate boy, I dare you to go to any London street and claim you support the Taliban, and then see how free you are..lol

 

Any threats to the state will be met with an iron fist..

 

....siaad barre 20+ years ago. When there was an actual state. You sound dumb AF

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