Politicians and civil society call on Somali government to release Universal TV’s Journalists

The closure of the office London-based Somali owned Channel Universal TV and the arrest of two of its journalists led angry reactions from social media users, civil society and politicians who condemned the incident.

Two journalists have spent two consecutive nights in jail and did not appear before court thought Somali government earlier on mentioned that the two will be arraign in court.

Several Somali MPs and Human right activists have urged Somali government to give Universal TV’s journalists including head of programs, Awil Dahir Salad and Universal TV East African Director Abdullahi Hirsi their freedom.

Among the political parties spoke out is Forum for Unity and Democracy (FUD) which condemned arrest of Somali journalists.

“The Forum believes that the unlawful detainment of the two Universal TV journalists is a deeply alarming trend of the arbitrary use of the Somali security apparatus to restrict freedom of expression and free media, indicating the lack of resolve of the national leadership to advance our country’s democratization process. The FUD is also deeply concerned about the freedom and the security of the opposition, including parliamentarians who have voiced their political opinions contrary to those in power” reads press statement released by the party.

The security forces of Somali government has closed down the station’s office in Mogadishu and apprehended two staffers including a senior journalist on Friday evening.

Addressing the journalists, the channel’s head of programs, Mohamed Ahmed Haji aka Agma-dhige said that two of the station’s journalists have spent a night behind the bars and the office remained closed following the raid by National Intelligence Service Agency, NISA on Friday evening.

He pointed out that the detention is related to debate program on the critical of state of the country that has been aired 30th of last month by the station.

“The administration of Universal TV condemns the arbitrary arrest against two journalists in Mogadishu, the latest in a string of violence against the journalists in Somalia” he said.

Reports say that in the program some of the MPs who participated in argued that Somalia is not a free country; and that the presence of AMISOM troops from front-line states is “illegal”.