Monthly Round-Up of NUSOJ Press Freedom Monitoring
21 January,2015: Puntland authorities briefly arrested Hussein Yasin, Editor of Shacabkamedia website in the administration’s capital in Garowe. Puntland authorities did not comment the reasons behind the arrest, but many journalists believe he was arrested for his critical reporting against the administration.
17 January,2015: Unknown assailants hurled two hand grenades to the premises of Radio Gakadcyo located in the Somalia’s Mudug region controlled by Puntland. No casualties were reported.
On similar attack on the radio station on December 31, 2014, when two hand grenades were launched to the radio station, two journalist were received slight injuries. The journalists Shiine Abdi Ahmed, Editor and deputy director of the radio suffers left leg injury and Abdullahi MohamudAden, a presenter suffers right arm injury resulting from flying shrapnel; both were rushed to the hospital for treatment. Its not yet clear why this radio stations is being attacked and singled out.
On January 12, 2015: Appeals court of Hargeysa ordered the closure of Haatuf newspaper in Hargeysa, on day after the regional Court lifted a ban on the newspaper. The newspaper remained closed since April 2014 when Somaliland police stormed the offices of Haatuf newspaper in Hargeysa following the orders of the regional court – accusing the newspaper for publishing false news – prompting the journalists on duty to flee, according to media reports.
On January 5, 2015: The Benadir regional court adjourned the hearing of the Shabelle and Sky FM journalists, after the lawyers defending the journalists failed to show up. Mohamed Bashir Hashi, Editor of Shabelle and Mohamud Mohamed Dahir, director of Sky FM, Abdimalik Yusuf Mohamoud, Chairman of Shabelle and Ahmed Abdi Hassan, Shabelle Shabelle newscaster appeared before the court today. The chairman of Regional Court Dr. Hashi Elmi Nor adjourned the session due to the absence of the lawyers defending the journalists. In a later communications NUSOJ made to Shabelle, it was confirmed that they solved the issue of the lawyers and might appear before the court by the end of this month. On October 21, the regional court heard the case of the journalists for first time and released Abdimalik Yusuf Mohamoud, Chairman of Shabelle and Ahmed Abdi Hassan, Shabelle newscaster on bail. The government forces raided Shabelle and SKY FM premises on August 15 and shutdown both radio stations. The government accused the radio stations for incitement.
On January 4, 2015: Two journalists working for Radio Goobjoog were arbitrarily detained by the NSA members, a time the journalists were on duty covering an explosion in the neighborhood. The two; Mohamed Salaad Osman and Ibrahim Haji Yusuf of Goobjoog FM Radio were released without charges on the next day.
On January 3, 2015: Members of the NSA closed down Risaala Radio and arrested its Director, Mohamed Abdiwahab Abdullahi, Its edior Mohamed Kaafi Sheik Abukar and a reporter, Mohamed Abdi for airing unconfirmed Ebola case. The arrest followed a complaint filed by the Somali Ministry of Health against the radio station. On January 8, the radio station was allowed to resume operation, while the director and the editor were released, but the reporter; Mohamed Abdi was transferred to jail awaiting for a trail.