A Somali court on Tuesday (February 12th) released journalist Daud Abdi Daud on bail following a week in custody, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) announced in a press statement.

Daud was arrested February 5th after he criticised the jailing of journalist Abdiasis Abdinuur Ibrahim and a woman he interviewed who said she was raped by security forces. The NUSOJ provided funds for his release.

"We welcome that our colleague Daud Abdi Daud received his freedom back and call for the government to decriminalise the basic freedoms granted by the provisional federal constitution," NUSOJ Secretary General Mohamed Ibrahim said.

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed the release of Daud in a post on Twitter, adding that "due process and rule of law must be followed".

Also on Tuesday, Ibrahim's lawyer filed an appeal in his case, which NUSOJ expects will be heard in court shortly. "The appeal of Abdiasis has been deposited to the appeals court today, a development which we hope the journalist might get justice," the secretary general said.