MOGADISHU, Somalia 23 February, 2023 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists, (SMSJ), the Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) condemn in the strongest terms possible the arbitrary and the unlawful arrest against the Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) Abdalle Ahmed Mumin by members of the Somali Police and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu.
One plain clothed intelligence officer and a uniformed police approached Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) while at Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu, where he was attending a public consultation event organized by the Senate finance committee. Abdalle was put on police vehicle and taken to Mogadishu central Prison, where he is currently held. His arrest was ordered by the regional police chief Mahdi Omar Mumin.
Its not yet clear reason behind his arrest and the police and NISA members who arrested him did not show an arrest warrant.
On 13 February 2023, Benadir regional court sentenced Abdalle Ahmed Mumin to 2 months in Prison, a verdict rejected by officials of the Mogadishu Central prison who dismissed his imprisonment saying that ‘he already served the 2 months sentence, since he was arrested in October 11, 2022.
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSJ), Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) condemn the arbitrary and unlawful arrest against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin and call for his immediate release.
“Somali government officials and security forces must refrain from further persecution against the media freedom advocate and union leader Abdalle Ahmed Mumin” the group said “We also call on Somalia’s international partners to publicly condemn this political witch-hunt against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and ask Somalia government to respect the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression.
“This deliberate targeting against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin shows loopholes in both Somali Security sector and the Justice system of the country and should be condemned publicly, while We call for the government to promptly investigate and those involved in this unlawful to justice, while we demand our colleague freedom” The organizations added.