Somalia: Journalist Alinur Salaad detained over military criticism

July 25, 2024 – Source: IFJ – 

Journalist and head of Dawan TV, Alinur Salaad, was detained by regional police in Mogadishu on 22 July on charges of false reporting and insulting the armed forces. Salaad was taken to court on 23 July and remanded in custody for 45-days while investigations are undertaken and potential charges prepared. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), condemn this arbitrary arrest as an attack on press freedom and demand Salaad’s immediate and unconditional release.

Journalist Alinur Salaad was detained shortly after a one-minute video report published on Dawan TV and his personal social media account went viral, drawing significant public and media attention. In the video, Salaad accused Somali soldiers of trading khat, a mild narcotic plant, which led the authorities to charge him with false reporting and insulting the armed forces. The journalist has also published several sensitive reports on national security issues.

Salaad is currently held at the Waberi Police Station, according to his colleagues. The police issued a statement detailing the charges and announced his impending court appearance. The arrest of the journalist has sparked swift condemnation from various journalists and media organizations.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) demanded Salaad’s immediate and unconditional release, viewing his arrest as a move to suppress journalistic scrutiny. The union claims the arrest is a politically motivated effort to silence a critical media voice, characterizing it as an attack on press freedom. NUSOJ believes Salaad’s detention is a direct reaction to his reporting on sensitive issues, such as the involvement of Somali soldiers in the khat trade and potential political complicity.

NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said, “Arresting a journalist without sufficient legal justification or due process for telling uncomfortable truths is completely unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest terms possible. It is the job of journalists to bring issues of public interest to the public eye and scrutinize them.”

IFJ Deputy General Secretary Tim Dawson said, “The authorities must uphold press freedom and ensure journalists can work safely. Journalists must highlight issues of public interest and hold power to account. They should not face arrest for their reporting. Journalism is not a crime.”

Somalia: Journalist Alinur Salaad detained over military criticism – IFJ