Horn Cable TV editor gets one year in jail for report on Egal Airport

Horn Cable TV editor Abdikadir Asayr has been jailed to one year and slapped a fine of 3 million Somaliland shillings over what the government said was ‘casting aspersions on the reputation of Egal Airport’.

Asayr who was arrested November 18 following his reporting about the air safety of Egal Airport was handed the jail term Saturday morning by Marodi Jeh Regional Court.

According to the prosecution, Asayr spread ‘propaganda’ against the airport in his reporting November 2 which alluded to complaints by the UAE government-owned airline flydubai.

According to the report, the airline had complained of wrong signals from Egal Airport but the government argued the reporting amounted to false representation and with intent to harm the reputation of the aviation facility.

Horn Cable Director Mohamed Illig broke the news of Asayr’s sentencing on his Facebook post adding his colleague was sick.

Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) secretary-general Ahmed Mumin said in a statement the sentencing of Asayr was ‘politically motivated.’

“We are saddened to learn about the one-year jail sentence and the fine of three million shillings against our colleague journalist Abdikadir Saleban Asayr (Coday) in Hargeisa by Marodi Jeh Regional Court. It is regrettable move, despite Somaliland’s Constitution clearly guarantees freedom of the press, that still such scenarios continue to happen,” said Mumin.

He called on Somaliland authorities to ‘quash the verdict and unconditionally free’ Asayr.

The sentencing of Asayr comes barely six months after journalist and activist Abdimalik Oldon was jailed for three and half in July.