On Sunday, 23 August, Sahil regional court found Yasin Jama Ali and, report and stringer berberanews.com and Horyaal radio respectively, and Mohamed Said Abdullahi, editor-in chief of berberanews.com, guilty of committing “crime against Somaliland nation”.

Judge of the court, Osman Ibrahim read a letter stating that berberanews.com published articles spreading scandals against governor of Sahil region, Mayor of Berbera, director of Berbera Seaport and other government officials without specifying the said scandals.

Before announcing the verdict, the judge asked Yasin Jama about the allegations, which were all denied by Yasin Jama. However, the court sentenced Mohamed Said Abdullahi to three years in prison and banned Yasin Jama Ali from practicing journalism until further notice from the court. The verdict also banned berberanews.com to operate in Somaliland for an indefinite period.

Judge Osman Ibrahim ordered the police to arrest Mohamed Said Abdullahi who was convicted in absentia and to arrest if they see Yasin Jama Ali doing media work, though he was freed in the court. Mohamed Said is in hiding.

“This is a clear persecution against journalists for simply performing their journalistic work. Somaliland authorities are evidently continuing the crackdown against media professionals which resulted a sharp decline of press freedom in Somaliland”, said Omar Faruk Osman, right, NUSOJ’s Secretary General.

NUSOJ regards that these current attacks against journalists and media organizations in Somaliland as serious threats to freedom of the media in Somaliland and as blatant violations of international standards for free expression.

NUSOJ calls on Somaliland authorities to overturn this court decision as well as previous court decisions against the media and cease all acts of prosecutions against journalists in response to their media work.
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For further information, contact:
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
Taleex Street, KM4 Area, Hodan District,
Mogadishu, Somalia, tel/fax: +252 1 859 944,
e-mail: newsletter@nusoj.org  
Internet: http://www.nusoj.org

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National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is a national union representing Somali journalists to promote and protect freedom of the press and the interests and rights of journalists. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Freedom of Expression exchange (IFEX), Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA). NUSOJ is partner with Reporters without Borders (RWB).