Radio Station Closed Down, its Director, Editor and a reported Arrested

Mogadishu The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) learned the unfortunate arrest of three journalist and the shutdown of a prominent Radio station by the members of the Somali National Security and Intelligence Agency, on Saturday afternoon, 3rd January, 2015 and calls for their release.

The trio; Director of Risaala Radio, Mohamed Abdiwahab Abdullahi, Its edior Mohamed Kaafi Sheik Abukar and a reporter, Mohamed Abdi Ali were arrested on Saturday afternoon, January 3rd, 2015, after they were summoned for questioning, Radio Risaala reported.

According to the Radio, the director of the radio later told the staff to shutdown the radio station without specifying the reason behind their arrest. The Radio station is one of the prominent, credible and independent radio station based in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The Somali government did not yet comment about the nature of the arrest of the journalists and the closure of the radio station.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is outrageous about the arrest of the journalists and silencing a prominent radio station and calls for the Somali government to release the journalists and allow the radio station to resume on air.

“We have just learned the unfortunate incident and are currently following up the case,” Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “However, we ask for their unconditional release”.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) will issue an updated statement shortly.