Reporters Without Borders calls for the release of ex-journalist Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenyan chapter of the Seafarers assistance programme, who was arrested by Kenyan police on 1 October for "making false statements".

Mwangura contradicted the official version put out by the Kenyan government about the destination of Ukrainian cargo ship, the Faina, seized by pirates off the Somali coast on 25 September, heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

Mwangura was arrested as he left the offices of the Standard newspaper in Mombasa and taken to the police station, where he is still being detained. He is due to appear before a judge on 7 October.

Mwangura received a prize in 2006 from the Chamber of International Commerce - commercial crime services, for his work in defence of sailors and particularly against murder and piracy in east Africa. He has helped obtain the release of several sailors taken hostage.

The Faina is carrying around 30 Soviet-made assault tanks, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft batteries and around 14,000 munitions.

Since the ship was seized by pirates, there has been a continuing argument about the destination of the arms. The Ukrainian and Kenyan governments say the weapons were intended for Kenya. But Mwangura has claimed they are in fact destined for South Sudan. He said he has seen documents proving his claim.

He has also said that four Ukrainian cargo ships, also loaded with weapons, have already transited through the port of Mombasa in the last year.

Several different statements have been made to back up this claim, including that of Nathan Christensen, spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The Faina is currently anchored off the port of Hobyo, about 500 kilometres north of the capital Mogadishu, surrounded by US warships.

Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It has representatives in Bangkok, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has more than 120 correspondents worldwide.