MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – An advocacy group, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has condemned the arrest of Mohamed Abdiwali Tohow, a radio journalist in Dhusamareb town of central Somalia.
Somali security forces have arrested Mr. Tohow late last week over a report broadcast the previous day for the Mogadishu-based Radio Kulmiye, according to the station’s director, Burhan Dini Farah.
In a statement, CPJ has called on Galmudug authorities to released the reporter who also contributes to several stations, including the London-based broadcaster Universal TV.
“That Mohamed Abdiwali Tohow has not been charged with any crime, four days after he was arrested, demonstrates this is little more than an attempt to intimidate and punish the journalist for his reporting,” said CPJ Sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. “Authorities in Galmudug should immediately release him without charge, and allow journalists to work freely, especially when they report on critical issues.”
The broadcaster’s East Africa director, Abdullahi Kulmiye Hirsi, told CPJ today that authorities in Galmudug said that they would produce the journalist in court on September 27.
The minister told CPJ that he was aware of the journalist’s arrest and that it was not the first time the reporter had spread “wrong information,” The minister said he was in discussions and that he hoped Mohamed would be released soon, but did not specify further details.
#Somalia: The journalists Mohamed Abdiwali Tohow who was arrested by Galmudug authorities on Sept 22 is still in detention. HRJ has confirmed that the journo is accused of making news story on Al Shabaab operations in the region. @CPJAfrica @pressfreedom #journalismisnotcrime pic.twitter.com/mMCHx9WZKx
— Human Rights Journalists (@HRJournalists) September 24, 2018
Ismail Sheikh Khalifa, chairperson of the advocacy group, Human Rights Journalists has also called for the released the journalist who was said to have filed a report alleging that the militant group Al-Shabaab was regrouping in parts of the state which Galmudug authorities termed “false news,”
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