Somalia blocks access to 35 websites

MOGADISHU, Somalia, November 10, 2015 (Garowe Online)-The office of Somalia’s Attorney General has ordered that 35 critical websites be blocked from inside the East African country in unprecedented censorship, Garowe Online reports.

The news websites allegedly defamed people in positions of authority in stories published on the 35 sites.

The Deputy Attorney General, Mohamud Abdi Haji Adan confirmed that the order is poised to be fully implemented by Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, pending further investigation.

Courts in Puntland and breakaway Somaliland have heard many criminal defamation and libel charges over the last few years.

Media industry in Somalia has grown ample; however experts are warning of serious challenges if the profession is exercised without practical guidance and training.

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

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GAROWE ONLINE