IFJ zabrinut zbog "nedomokratske i pretjerane" kazne za urednika

27.06.2005.

 

IFJ and SOJON Protest Over “Undemocratic and Excessive” Court Decision to Detain Somali Editor

 

 

The InternationalFederation of Journalists today protested over the “undemocratic and excessive”decision handed down against the editor of a weekly newspaper by a court inGarowe the headquarters of Puntland autonomous regional administration innortheastSomalia.

On 19 June, acting underPresidential powers police arrested Abdi Farah Nur, an editor working for theweekly paperShacab, along with two other personnel of a printing agencydirected by the same company that own the newspaper. The two media staffers werelater released.

In a hearing, three dayslater, the judge ruled that Abdi Farah Nur should be transferred to Garowetop-security prison and held for an undetermined period as a consequence ofongoing investigations into allegations accusing him of violating orders fromthe Puntland Council of Ministers who had suspendedShacabon 5 May.

This is anundemocraticand excessive verdict that encourages the increasing policies of oppression byPuntland officials,” said SOJON Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman. “To detainsomeone for an undetermined period of time without clear charges smacks ofcorruption and injustice”.

 

                                                                           The presiding judgeasked Abdi Farah Nur for the reasons behind his decision to reconvene printingofShacabin spite of the decision taken by the Puntland Council ofMinisters.

According to the IFJaffiliate inSomalia, the Somali Journalists’Network, (SOJON), Nur defended himself by simply stating, “I was doing myjob”. The Judge subsequently ordered thetransfer of the editor to a top-security prison in Garowe and recommended thathe should be detained for an undefined period of time. The judge also released aShacab journalist Abdirahman Qoondeeye who was arrested with theeditor.

“Decisionsto treat journalists as criminals will only serve to kill the little freeexpression that exists inSomalia,” said Aidan White, IFJGeneral Secretary. “We fully support SOJON in their appeal to the Puntlandauthorities to reverse this harsh decision as we work together to defend theindependent work of private media inSomalia”.

For more informationcontact: +32 2 235 22 07

The IFJ represents over500,000 journalists in more than 110countries

 

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