Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) has filed a case against the country’s repressive penal code at the Supreme Court.
SOLJA filed the case on August 23 together with Xaqdoon Law Firm.
The association claimed that the government has used the penal code to arrest media owners and journalists on flimsy grounds.
Today, authorities can arrest anyone working as a journalist on claims of spreading “false news.” Anyone charged with this could be sentenced to up to six months in prison.
Further, SOLJA and the law firm cited broad terms that authorities not only misinterpret but also apply vaguely to silence the media.
On Sunday, Adan Hajji Ali, the Chairman of the Supreme Court, confirmed that he received documents on the case from SOLJA and Xaqdoon.
Journalists in Somaliland are among the most oppressed by any government in the region.