MOGADISHU, Somalia, 31 May, 2019 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) welcomes the release of Goobjoog media journalist Ali Adan Mumin who was released from police custody late on Friday 31 May, 2019. He spent four days in jail.
The journalist’s employer, Goobjoog media director Hassan Mohamed Mohamud told SJS that the journalist was released under the orders of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Boss Colonel Omar Abdi Elmi.
“Our colleague Ali Adan Mumin is free. He was released from jail at 8.34pm local time. He is now at the Goobjoog Media where colleagues welcomed him and he will soon reunite with his family,” director Mohamud told SJS.
Journalist Ali Adan Mumin who spoke to SJS shortly after his release told SJS he was freed after he signed a letter brought to him by the CID boss Col. Elmi which states that the journalist can be summoned at any time.
“I am glad that I am free now. I was released from the jail tonight. I am bit concerned that I was given a letter to sign which says that I will be summoned by the police at anytime. I signed it because the officers told me they would not release me without signing it,” Mumin told SJS.
The journalist said that during his detention, he felt his freedom was infringed upon. He said when he went to the police CID headquarters on Tuesday after he was summoned a day earlier, he was a law abiding citizen and was not expecting to be jailed.
“I thank SJS team for the solidarity and the support they offered me during the time I was in jail,” journalist Mumin added.
SJS is relieved by the release of journalist Mumin. We call upon the Somali authorities to respect freedom of the expression and stop harassing journalists who express their views.
“After four long days, we are happy that our colleague has finally been freed.” SJS said, “We call upon the Somali government to respect the freedom of expression and refrain from repressive measures aimed to silence the independent voices.”
On Wednesday, Banadir Regional Court ordered the release of Mumin at the end of ongoing national exams after the court dropped charges brought by the State Attorney General’s office against the journalist. However the journalist remained in jail.
On Friday, SJS activists led dozens of journalists in Mogadishu in a protest against the continued detention of the journalist.
The journalist’s lawyer Abdirahman Omar who attended the protest called the police to uphold the Wednesday’s court order.