About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

Alert

Well-known journalist arrested in Mogadishu

(NUSOJ/IFEX) - The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is disturbed by the arrest of a prominent and respected radio journalist, Abdi Mohammed Ismail, who works for the Mogadishu-based, privately-owned Shabelle Media Network.

Abdi Mohammed Ismail, publicly known as Abdi Uud, was arrested on 21 April 2008 by recently-trained armed forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia at Banadir junction in Madina district in Mogadishu. Neither the Transitional Federal Government nor its armed forces gave a reason for the arrest.

"Illogical and illegal arrests of journalists are entirely in opposition to the assurances made by the government of Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein of ending press freedom violations when it came to office, and up until now its forces have been targeting journalists," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.

"Like other attacks on journalists, we deplore this act and demand the immediate release of Abdi Uud," Omar Faruk added. "In these circumstances, the government needs to take responsibility for the blatant manner in which its armed men move about with impunity and arrest journalists whenever they want."

On 17 April, heavily-armed police of the Transitional Federal Government, riding in a minibus, raided Radio Voice of Peace, ordered its staff to get out of their offices, shut down the privately-owned FM station and briefly arrested four of its journalists and a technician.

For further information on the Radio Voice of Peace case, see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/92736