The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has written to the Somaliland government asking it to release two journalists from prison.
IFJ said that it had appealed to Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi to facilitate the release of the journalists.
The journalists in question are Mohamed Abdi Mohamed and Abdijabar Mohamed Hussein.
Abdi works for MM Somali TV while Hussein is a journalist with the HornCable TV.
The two journalists have been in prison since April 13, 2022. Authorities arrested them together with another journalist – Abdirahman Ali Khalif of Gobonnimo TV.
At the time, the journalists had been covering the riots taking place at the Hargeisa Central Prison.
IFJ claims that the charge sheets are full of contradictions.
In its view, the Somaliland government is hell-bent on intentionally persecuting the journalists.
The journalists were sentenced to 16 months imprisonment on May 23.