Committee to Protect Journalists condemns arrest of Somali Channel journo, calls for his immediate release

The Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ has condemned the arrest of Somali Channel journalist Jama Yusuf Deperani and called for his immediate release.

The global campaign group has termed the arrest of Deperani an affront to media freedom in Puntland warning of risks of self censorship by journalists in the region for fear of reprisals.

“We condemn the arbitrary arrest of Jama Yusuf Deperani, one of the few remaining critical voices within the region, and call for his immediate release,” said CPJ East Africa Representative Tom Rhodes. “This kind of harassment could induce other Puntland-based journalists to censor their reporting for fear of similar treatment.”

Deperani was arrested Thursday in the administrative capital of Puntland, Garow but the circumstances surrounding his arrest still remain scanty though reports indicate the Puntland Ministry of Information had the previous week ordered Somali Channel to stop the journalist from carrying out any journalistic work.

Deperani who has been hosting a political talk show in the London based channel joins a number of journalists whose work has come under sharp scrutiny of the Puntland administration.

In May, VOA Somali journalist Fatima Yasim and SBC TV’s Yousouf Mohamed were summoned by the appeals court in Garowe over alleged reporting on the presidency and the judiciary.

Puntland Information ministry last month issued an order banning the American Broadcaster VOA Somali section from broadcasting in the state and any rebroadcasts by local channels. However it rescinded its decision two days later after negotiations with the broadcaster according to the CPJ.