MOGADISHU, Somalia 28 February, 2023 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSJ) slam the incorrect statement issued by the office of the Attorney general today, Tuesday 28 Feburary, on the re-arrest of SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, which aims to mislead the case.
After consultations with SJS lawyers, Somali Media fraternity release the following response:
- The statement dated on 28 February, 2023 does not mention that Abdalle Ahmed Mumin was arbitrarily arrested by Members of the Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) at the airport.
- It also excludes that Abdalle’s case was a media and press freedom releted one, especially that Abdalle was charged based on the the press conference jointly held by the Somali Media fraternity at the SJS office on October 10, 2022. The public hearings of the case were aired live and are on the public domain.
- The statement of the Attorney General has no legal right to publicly comment the case and its statement ashows that the case is purely politically motivated with no legal grounds and in an indication that the Benadir regional court modified the original sentence dated on 13 February 2023.
- The statement purely shows that the Office of the Attorney General and the Benadir regional court agreed to hand over a heavy sentence too Abdalle as the statement was used “convicted”, which the office has not right to use that word legally.
- After the Benadir regional court withdrew its bail from Abdalle, the Appeals court gave Abdalle a bail dated 22 October, 2022 with reference number MRGB/69/2022/BG, therefore Benadir regional court can not legally withdrew the bail. ONLY the appeals court has the legal authority to withdrew its bail.
- In the statement, the AG office accused the officials of the Central prison that they released Abdalle illegally and opposed to the court’s decision and identified Abdalle as “Fugitive”, but on the contrary, Abdalle was released lawfully and was in the town nearly two weeks after his release.
However, the statement from the Attorney General’s office comes in less than 24 hours after Somali parliament debated the continued persecution against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, demanded his unconditional release and called for a thorough investigation into the case. The parliament tasked the Media parliamentary committee to investigate and prepare a report on the case.
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somali Mechanism for Journalists (SMSJ) condemn the misleading statement from Somalia’s attorney General which aims to mislead the public about the reality surrounding the case. The joint statement also condemns the continued persecution against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and demand for his unconditional release. The Somali Media fraternity called on Somalia’s international partners to publicly condemn the unlawful re-arrest of SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin who is held incommunicado at the Mogadishu Central Prison.
Please read below court decision carefully and if possible find a lawyer and a Somali translations.
