Hargeisa, 10 Dec 2013 (SDN) -Nearly 100 Somaliland journalists, news media workers and their supporters, some covering their mouths with white ribbons, protested Today in Hargeisa against the detention of eight journalists and what they said was a growing push by the country’s government to muzzle them.
The journalists protest coincided today with the world-wide celebrations of human rights day.
Members of opposition Justice and Welfare Party (UCID) and non-governmental organizations joined the protest. “No, no to muzzling!” they shouted as they marched down the city’s main streets. “Yes, yes to freedom!”
The protests came after government detained 8 journalists in this month alone.
Four independent journalists were arrested in Hargeisa last week by security forces for covering a peaceful protest by fellow journalist in Hargeisa.
The four journalists were arrested in a protest rally pertaining to the release from custody of a police constable accused of masterminding the attack of offices of a local daily newspaper (Hubaal) seven months ago.
In a case now dubbed then Hubaal Saga two crooked policemen purportedly acting from orders of an unnamed senior government official raided the media house armed with pistols and machetes whereby they seriously injured the head of the institution Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Jama Aloley.
SDN Hargeisa
