Three members of a TV crew working for privately-owned Universal TV who were arrested while covering a news conference in Somalia on April 8 have been released. After questioning them about their work, a Mogadishu court Tuesday decided they did nothing wrong and ordered their release, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported.
RSF had expressed concern about press freedom in Somalia after a presidential spokesman ordered the arrest of the TV crew, and the authorities in Puntland, a stronghold of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, banned journalists from holding professional meetings without permission.
“Security problems and the risk of regional destabilisation must not be used as an excuse to settle scores,” RSF had said. “The president’s mission is to lead his country towards democracy, but the behaviour of his aides and supporters continues to undermine the rights of journalists to operate freely. Keeping public order means that a TV crew ilegally arrested must be freed and the repressive ban in Puntland lifted.”
Abdulkadir Ashir "Nadara," head of the privately-owned TV station Universal TV, journalist Bashir Dirie Nalei and cameraman Hamud Mohammed Osman were arrested on April 8 at Mogadishu airport and were held since then, according to National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), a partner organisation of RSF. The three journalists had covered a press conference by the president, during which "Nadara" had asked him about favouritism in his choice of officials. An angry presidential spokesman called the question “the language of terrorists” and the three journalists were arrested by soldiers.
The Puntland information, telecommunications, culture and tourism ministry on March 28 had banned all unauthorised conferences, lectures and public events about media matters, as well as creation of media associations. A copy of the order was sent to all government ministries, local and foreign NGOs, UN agencies and the presidential palace. Before being elected Somali president by the country’s transitional parliament in October 2004, President Yusuf was president of Puntland, whose authorities are still loyal to him.
