Ahead of general elections, Somalia's AG threatens media and journalists with dire consequences

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Ahead of general elections, Somalia's AG threatens media and journalists with dire consequences

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia's Attorney General (AG) Sulayman Mohamed Mohamud has been threatening media and journalists trying to report the abuses and human rights violations committed by the Somali police and state officials ahead of the

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Somali Attorney General, Sulayman Mohamed Mohamud during a press conference on May 7. (Photo: video screengrab)

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somalia's Attorney General (AG) Sulayman Mohamed Mohamud has been threatening media and journalists trying to report the abuses and human rights violations committed by the Somali police and state officials ahead of the country's general elections later in the year.

Journalists and key media houses directors told Horn Observer that the Attorney General's threats against the free press comes amid a worsening conditions for the Somali journalists ahead of the country's national elections projected for later this year.

The country remains to be the most dangerous place for journalists and world’s worst country for the fifth year in a row when it comes to prosecuting murderers of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2019 Global Impunity Index for the year 2019. War, terrorism and political instability have fostered a deadly cycle of violence and impunity, along with inaction by the government.

-CONSECUTIVE THREATS-

In less than a month, AG Sulayman has directed three threats of "legal action and dire consequences" against the journalists and media houses who have recently reported arbitrary arrests by the police, torture on detainees held at illegal detention facility and effect of Covid-19 within the police stations where prisoners are held.

On May 7, after a visit to Cusboole detention and torture facility in Daynile District in Mogadishu, the AG has threatened with legal action against media and social media users over what he termed as "incitement and false report" on the facility despite not denying the allegations of torture taking place in this facility run by the powerful Daynile District Commissioner and were documented in video clips taken by anonymous sources.

"From this day, we announce that this is a police detention centre. If people are arrested here, then the police will be responsible for it. We shall not ask the District Administration about what happens in this facility," said Attorney General Sulayman during a press conference at Cusboole facility on May 7 "I warn the journalists and the media-especially the social media users against writing any incitement and false news. Everybody whether a journalist or not, will be accountable what he/she writes."

In another press conference in Mogadishu, on May 16, the AG warned the media and their news sources against "spreading false information" meant to "tarnish the reputation of the judiciary and the police" and discussing cases which are under probe by the AG's Office. That was four days after, the privately-owned independent Radio Risaala, which interviewed a family member, reported that the detained Director General of the Ministry of Health, Abdullahi Hashi had contracted Covid-19 at Hamar Weyne police station.

On May 20, AG Sulayman tweeted a letter purportedly from his Office alleging a "wide spread of fake news allegedly misleading official press [from the Attorney General's] office". The letter quoted Horn Observer article on May 18 that reported a widening ongoing investigation into allegedly missing hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 aid money at the Federal Ministry of Health. The article quoted the AG's press release on May 16.

"The Office of Attorney General will bring to justice all persons who knowingly spread false information to case apprehension, confusion, despair and false alarm," the AG said in his letter on May 20.

Throughout the prolonged violence in the Horn of African country, local press freedom groups and international rights groups have documented that the authorities suppressed media coverage on certain topics such as security, corruption and human rights abuses. In some instances, government officials or police officers physically attacked journalists and media professionals critical of the government and senior officials.

Currently, one journalist: the editor of the independent Radio Hiigsi, Mohamed Abduwahaab Abuuja is held incommunicado in Mogadishu by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) since March 7 after writing critically on the security forces and another one: Voice of America (VOA) investigative editor, Harun Maruf is being sought by NISA through the AG's Office, according to NISA statement released on April 23. The AG had also ordered the arrest of the independent Goobjoog Media journalist, Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye on April 14 after writing that "the president had taken a donated ventilator" from Martini hospital.

Journalists and media advocates are saying that they are concerned by the deteriorating of the country's press freedom at rapid pace.

"Democracy will not be able to flourish in Somalia without an independent media”, the International Press Institute (IPI) Director of Advocacy Ravi R. Prasad said in a letter sent to the Somali president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on May 14 to express serious concern over the rapidly deteriorating state of press freedom and frequent harassment of journalists by the national intelligence and other government officials.

"In a time of national elections ahead, we are extremely concerned by these threats and we call for authorities including the AG's Office to stop the threats, harassment and intimidation against the independent journalists and media outlets," the Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Abdalle Ahmed Mumin said.

- Horn Observer -