Amnesty International has asked the Federal Government of Somalia to release Abdimalik Oldon, a freelance journalist who was sentenced to three years in jail, immediately.
On Friday, Amnesty issued a statement saying that Oldon had endured excessive oppression by the state.
Further, it termed his arrest and detention a “violation of the country’s constitution.” Amnesty also said that the detention is an affront to Oldon’s journalistic rights.
The human rights body mentioned that Oldon’s subsequent imprisonment denies Somalis the rights that the constitution accords them to enjoy freedom of information.
April 17, 2020 marked the one-year anniversary of Oldon’s arrest and subsequent presentation to court where he was charged with “spreading anti-national propaganda.”
The state also accused him of “disseminating false news.”