9 January 2024: The Nationwide Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is profoundly horrified by the continued mistreatment of journalists from MM Somali TV, who have been violently raided, bodily assaulted, had their tools destroyed and confiscated, and have been unjustly detained by Somaliland safety forces on January 6, 2024.
It has now been over 65 hours, on the time of issuing this assertion, which considerably exceeds the 48-hour authorized restrict for arrested people to be dropped at courtroom. Journalists Mohamed Abdi Sheikh (Ilig), Mohamed Abdi Abdullahi (Andar) and Ilyas Abdinasir are enduring struggling within the custody of Somaliland intelligence, the place they’ve been subjected to torture throughout interrogations in an try and extract false confessions. Moreover, their financial institution accounts and cellphone data are beneath investigation, as reported by safety officers who spoke to native journalists anonymously, fearing for his or her security and job safety.
The headquarters of MM Somali TV stays forcibly closed, with a considerable quantity of their tools both destroyed or confiscated throughout the raid. Plainclothes safety officers are reportedly monitoring anybody approaching the TV workplace. In the meantime, journalists liable for managing the TV’s social media accounts are working discreetly attributable to their concern of being tracked, recognized and subsequently arrested.
On this alarming and ongoing assault on press freedom, Somaliland authorities should not solely violating native and nationwide legal guidelines that safeguard basic rights of free expression and media freedom, however they’re additionally flagrantly disregarding African and worldwide human rights legal guidelines by arbitrarily arresting journalists, unlawfully detaining them, confiscating and damaging the tools of an unbiased information media group, suppressing open media discussions and denying individuals their proper to entry info freely.
“It’s reprehensible to detain journalists in an intelligence cell and maintain them illegally for merely performing their journalistic duties. The rights of our colleagues at MM Somali TV are being blatantly violated with each passing minute of their arbitrary and continued detention. This case requires unequivocal rejection and a requirement for his or her fast and unconditional launch,” acknowledged Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary Basic.
On 6 January 2024, journalists Mohamed Abdi Sheikh (Ilig), Mohamed Abdi Abdullahi (Andar), and Ilyas Abdinasir have been bodily assaulted, blindfolded and forcibly positioned into an unmarked car earlier than being detained. This occurred as a result of MM Somali TV had hosted a debate on X (previously Twitter) House that very evening, discussing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland on New Yr’s Day.
“The grave mistreatment of those journalists by safety brokers solely underscores the clearly meant objective of suppressing journalists for being facilitators and conveyors of unbiased information and data, one thing that Somaliland authorities evidently oppose. Nevertheless, this solely strengthens the dedication of journalists to report the reality, which can’t be hid at any price,” declared Osman.
