Hargeisa court sentences a popular journalist, Abdimalik Oldon, for three & half years in prison

Hargeisa, July 8, (Somaliland.com):- Hargeisa Regional Court on Monday has sentenced Abdimalik Muse Oldon for three and half year in prison on defamation charges for his Facebook posts critical to Somaliland government and a private school.

On April 17, Somaliland police detained Abdimalik Muse Oldon (Coldoon), a well-known independent journalist and blogger, from Burao city, in Eastern Somaliland.

Mr Oldon is charged for:

1. Criticizing President Muse Bihi and his administration and
2. Investigating the “Controversial Abaarso School”.

Human rights activists on social media criticized the sentence and demanded his immediate release. Some reminded the government that “Freedom of Speech” is one of the most important pillars of democracy which Somaliland’s historic struggle was based on against the oppressive Siyad Barre regime.

On the other hand, the Somaliland Journalists Association immediately condemned the court’s ruling on Oldon saying that he deserved justice. “We are calling on the government to protect the constitution and hence journalists said Yahye Sheekh, Deputy Chairman of Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA).

Last month, Amnesty International urged Somaliland government to immediately and unconditionally release Abdimalik Muse Oldon and other detained youth over their social media incidents.

“The increase in harassment and intimidation of government critics we are witnessing underscores the intolerance that the current government displays towards diverse opinions and their lack of regard for human rights protections,” said Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International’s Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

These arrests and suspensions make a total mockery of the Somaliland constitution which explicitly guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Joan Nyanyuki, Amnesty International’s Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes

“These arrests and suspensions make a total mockery of the Somaliland constitution which explicitly guarantees the right to freedom of expression.”

Amnesty International interviewed Oldon, his family members and lawyers during a fact-finding mission to Hargeisa between 15-24 June 2019 and attended one of the court hearings for the journalist. The organization found that all four men were targeted for expressing critical views.

It is not the first time that Mr. Abdimalik is apprehended by the Somaliland government. In 2017, he spent more than three months in Hargeisa prison after returning from Mogadishu, covering the Somalia election events at that time.

On April 8, 2017, Hargeisa regional court sentenced him for two-year jail term after Somaliland government accused him of violating the sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland and offending the prestige of Somaliland leaders. But fortunately, Somaliland president Mr. Ahmed Siilaanyo paroled him after community groups pleaded the president to intervene and preserve the freedom of speech.

The president Muse Bihi Abdi promised tolerance calling on law enforcement bodies to practice restraint.

In late February, at the concluding session of the ruling party’s central council convention in Borama, the President promised tolerance to criticism and to freedom of speech.

“We bow to the independence of the Somaliland justice system, We accept that we, the ruling party and the government, should be more tolerant to criticism and to freedom of expression,” he said.