Somali police have arrested the director of a radio station in the south-western town of Baidoa. According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Hilal Sheikh Shuayb of Warsan Radio was arrested following the orders of the governor of Bay Region, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim.
The journalist was accused of airing live the judgment of a Baidoa Court judge who ruled on a Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldier to be killed as he (soldier) was found guilty of killing a police commander. The soldier was executed on Tuesday afternoon following the judgment.
"The TFG and its regional administration in Baidoa are working to paralyse journalists’ independence and professionalism by forbidding them to report current issues, including important issues like this court case," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary-General in a statement issued of Wednesday morning. "Hilal Sheikh did not cross his professional line of duty and he must gain his freedom immediately," Osman added.
NUSOJ was worried about the situation of Baidoa journalists. It recalled a press conference held in Baidoa on Saturday September 13, when the governor made a virulent attack on journalists for ‘baseless’ reporting about Bay region and its security situation. The governor threatened to take action against journalists who report what his administration sees as "unfounded information" and "propaganda for terrorist opponents".
Journalists in Baidoa, the base of the Transitional Federal Parliament, have been pressured by the regional administration, whose current governor is the former owner of Radio Warsan, the only private Radio Station in Bay region, according to NUSOJ.
