Somali police have arrested a journalist who criticised the jailing of a reporter and a woman he interviewed who said she was raped by security forces, colleagues and rights groups said Tuesday. Daud Abdi Daud, who works for Radio Kulmiye, was arrested on February 5 shortly after speaking out at the sentencing for one year of reporter Abdiaziz Abdinuur and the alleged rape victim he interviewed.
The initial case sparked widespread criticism with United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon saying he was "deeply disappointed". But since then rights groups and Somalia's journalist union have warned security forces have continued to crack down on the media. Human Rights Watch, quoting credible sources, said Daud had spoken out following the sentencing of his colleague and the woman "saying that journalists have the right to interview people."
On Monday, Daud was transferred from police custody to the central prison in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, HRW added. Mohamed Ibrahim, head of Somali's journalist union, said he was "outraged by the arbitrary arrests, threats and intimidations" against journalists following the case. "We call for the Somali government to urgently release Daud and quash the conviction of Abdinuur, and come up with mechanism that guarantees free and independent media," Ibrahim added. Abdinuur and the woman were each sentenced to a year in jail for insulting state institutions, even though the journalist did not broadcast a story about the case.