Somaliland reporter held for asking a question

Mohamed Adan Dirir

Wednesday June 7, 2017

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the continuing detention of a journalist who was arrested on 24 May after asking a question at a press conference in Hargeisa, the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, and urges the Somaliland authorities to free him at once and to respect the freedom to inform.

Mohamed Adan Dirir, a reporter for the Horseed Media news website, was arrested after putting an embarrassing question to health minister Saleban Isee during a press conference. He has been arbitrarily held ever since at the Criminal Investigation Department in Hargeisa.

According to article 27 of the constitution of Somaliland, which occupies the northwestern part of Somalia, the authorities cannot hold anyone for more than 48 hours without taking them before a judge.

Somalia is ranked 167th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2017 World Press Freedom Index.