Somalia
Journalists in Somalia plead to president for press freedomPosted Nov 17 2010
More than 50 African press freedom and journalist unions signed a letter to Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, the president of Puntland, calling for him to stop the stifling of press freedom
Since he took office in 2009, several journalists have been condemned to long-term prison sentences such as Abdifatah Jama Mire, the deputy director of Horseed Media FM, was sentenced to six years in prison for airing an interview with a head of an insurgent group.
The letter asks the government to stop sending innocent journalists to jail and mentions Mire by name. They write, “Free Abdifatah Jama Mire immediately and unconditionally. He is the victim of abuse of executive power by your officers.”
They also call for the speedy and transparent investigations of “crimes committed against journalists.” The letter claims that because the president is doing nothing to find the culprit in these crimes, “impunity will flourish with the perceived endorsement of your administration.”