Somali journalists demand release of colleague held in Puntland

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU:   Journalists in Mogadishu have condemned the arrest of their colleague based in Puntland over his reporting on the run-away inflation in the eastern state.

The public protest against the arrest organized by Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) came following continued detention of Kilwe Adan Farah.

Farah was arrested early this month in Garowe following his reporting of economic inflation in Puntland that has resulted in a free-fall of the local currency. The puntland government announced Sunday new monetary measures to stabilise the shilling including mandatory use of the Somali shilling for 20% of taxes collected at the port.

Speaking during the demonstration in Mogadishu, SJS secretary-general Abdalla Ahmed Mumin termed the continued detention of Farah ‘illegal’.

“First of all, I want to point out that it is illegal to detain a person for 21 days, without a lawyer, without seeing his family, without knowing whether the allegations are true or false based on any evidence,” Mumin said.

He added that there were reports the Farah was tortured and threatened by Puntland military court.

Similar protests have been witnessed in Puntland.