National Union of Somali Journalists (Mogadishu)
9 May 2008
press release
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) strongly condemns today's arrest of Director of Somali Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) Mowlid Haji Abdi by the police of Puntland Regional State in northeastern Somalia.
Around 09:50am local time, Puntland police forcefully entered the headquarters of SBC, largest Radio and Television Network in Puntland, and ordered Mowlid Haji Abdi to go with hem. The forces took the director to detention center at the Bossasso Seaport, where they are currently detaining him.
"We deplore the arrest of Mowlid Haji Abdi as purposeful aggression against media freedom" said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.
Puntland authorities did not talk about the arrest of the journalist, but journalists and members of SBC Radio and Television stated that it has relations with SBC's coverage of recent armed conflict in Puntland.
"We demand unconditional and immediate release of our colleague from Puntland authorities" said Omar Faruk. "Puntland police have been using recent days all forms of harassment and intimidation to journalists so that media can not report current events accurately and independently".
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