Somalia: Puntland police arrest radio director, editor in Garowe

GAROWE, Somalia, May 23, 2015 (Garowe Online)-Puntland police forces arrested radio station director and editor four days after the brief suspension of Somali National TV operations, Garowe Online reports.

Director Abdirahman Hussein Hassan (Gaardi), and Editor Jamal Farah Adan of Daljir- privately owned station that broadcasts daily on FM station in the state capital of Garowe-were arbitrary rounded up on Friday evening and were held initially in solitary confinement at security checkpoint, co-workers said.

Daljir Radio moderated an hour long programme on the worsening security situation, and ailing economy on Friday.

The arrest has come after Puntland Government officials declined to join the weekly radio programme which also featured on questions by listeners on phone.

Media Association of Puntland (MAP) Chairman, Faisal Khalif Barre and Daljir Director-General Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed (Tallman) have condemned the detention of two prominent station journalists, calling on security agencies to unconditionally set the two free.

Barre indicated that the arrest didn’t undergo legal procedures.

In December 2014, Reporters Without Borders unveiled that media is censored with impunity in the northeastern state.

On December 7, Garowe police stormed Radio Garowe, with station journalist being threatened with arrest.

In a leaked letter, presidential aide ordered that Garowe Online and four other websites be blocked from inside Puntland, drawing condemnation in late 2014.

Somalia was ranked 176^th of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. 

GAROWE ONLINE