Somaliland Court Sentences A Journalist to One Year in Jail

Hargeisa (Somaliland.com) – Maroodijeh Regional court in Hargeisa Somaliland sentenced the editor of a local television station a year in jail and three million Somaliland shillings in fine.

The Association of Somaliland Journalists (SOLJA) welcomed the verdict while the government appealed it… 

Abdikadir Saleebaan Ali, the editor of Horn Cable Tv,  was arrested November last year for running a story the government deemed propaganda against Hargeisa airport. The story in question was a letter from Fly Dubai complaining of operations at Egal International Airport. It alleged gross negligence that compelled a nightly flight to be diverted to another airport because of an unlit runway.

Horn Cable Tv journalists and the Association of Somaliland’s Journalists have repeatedly raised concern over the health of the jailed reporter. He was hospitalized multiple times during his time in custody.

Abdiqadir Saleeban Ali was among thirty-five journalists arrested last year. He spent two months behind bars before his sentencing today.  Maroodijeh regional court was sentenced Abdiqadir Oday to one year in jail and fined three million Somaliland shillings.

Today, the court issued a ruling on the case that was going on for the past two months. He was sentenced to one year in jail and to pay three million Somaliland shillings in fine. We welcome the verdict no matter how erroneous was the process that led to it.

Somaliland Journalists Association welcomed the court’s decision although regretting the illegal process of his detention. The chairman of SOLJA Mohamud Abdi Jama Huuto regretted that the prosecution team will contest the court’s decision. He considered the government’s appeal intended to further hurt the journalist.

Alas, the government immediately appealed the court’s decision. That was their right if not satisfied with the ruling as it was ours to appeal. However, we see this move as a very harsh step to put more pressure on the journalist to elongate his detention. Since the detention of Abdiqadir Coday was not legal, to begin with, we were all supposed to be satisfied with the court ruling.

SOLJA CHairman

Mohamud Abdi Jama Huuto, the chairman of SOLJA, however, pledged that his organization will take the necessary step to secure the immediate release of Abdiqadir Oday.