HARGEYSA ( Halbeeg News) – Somaliland authorities have closed Horn Cable TV station and arrested one of its editors in Hargeisa town amid political unrest in the region.
According to Director General of Horn Cable TV, Mohamed Abdi Ilig, Somaliland police raided the station on Monday morning.
“Somaliland has shut down Horn Cable Television Headquarter in Hargeisa, Somaliland and arbitrarily arrested the editor of the TV Mr. Abdulkadir Salebaan Aseyr known as “Codey” who is now detained in the Criminal Investigation Department in Hargeisa” Ilig.
It is not yet clear the main purpose of the editor’s arrest but it came at a time when there are political protests and tensions in the city in which media is reporting.
Ilig said that there have been two cases against their TV filed by the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Aviation after the TV interviewed armed opposition groups in some parts of Somaliland and reported disruptions faced by foreign commercial airlines.
“As a managing team, we oppose all forms of harassment, detention, and threats against journalists and media workers, we will continue to serve our community for the access to reliable information, maintain impartiality, perseverance and achieving the right to freedom of expression in Somaliland,” Ilig said.
The raid and subsequent arrest was condemned by Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ)
“The decision to suspend Horn Cable TV in Somaliland is a clear violation against the press freedom and freedom of expression and shows how the authorities in Somaliland are still committed to silence the independent media.” FESOJ Secretary-General Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu said, “We call on the authorities in Somaliland to respect the media freedoms and freedom of expression which is key to a more stable and democratic society.”
Somaliland has apparently increased the arrests and the ban of the media in the last six months of 2019 and is of great concern.
FESOJ has been hosting three journalists who fled from Somaliland and reached to Mogadishu after encountering severe pressure from Somali government officials.
Discussion about this post