SJS claims government offered to drop charges on Mumin on condition he ceases criticism

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somali Journalists Journalists (SJS) has claimed that the Somali government offered to drop charges against its Secretary General Abdalle Mumin on two conditions.

The first condition is that Mumin ceases forthwith his advocacy work and future criticism of authorities in Somalia. Secondly, SJS said, the government demanded that SJS and other media associations apologise to the government and agree with the October 8 decree on the use of the term khawarij instead of Al-Shabaab.

But SJS said it will, alongside other media associations continue demanding the unconditional dropping of charges against Mumin.

“SJS, SOMA and SMSJ condemn the ongoing persecution and threats against Abdalle Mumin as we call the Banadir Regional Court and the Office of the Attorney General to unconditionally drop the baseless and politically-motivated charges against Mr. Mumin including the reportedly new charges added last week,” SJS said in a statement.

The Ministry of Information has not commented on the allegations. Mumin was first arrested on October 11 barely three days after the government issued a directive urging journalists to desist from using the term al-Shabaab and its place adopt khawarij which loosely translates from Arabic to mean those who have deviated from Islam.

He was released on bail but subsequently arrested on October 19 at Aden Adde Airport while en route to Nairobi. The court ordered his release but withheld his passport.

The Ministry of Information indicated that Mumin was not arrested for his journalistic work but noted he faced security-related charges.