MOGADISHU, Somalia 16 March, 2023 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSJ) decry the continued persecution against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and call for his unconditional release.
Mr. Mumin is held incommunicado at the Mogadishu central prison since February 23, 2023, denied to talk to his family, held in an overcrowded cell and had developed allergies in additional to the kidney pain and its not clear who sent Abdalle behind bars, and its unclear when he will be released.
On 13 February 2023, Benadir regional court sentenced Abdalle Ahmed Mumin to 2 months jail term for disobeying the ministry of information’s October 8, 2022 directive. He was released after arrival at the jail by the prison officials saying that ‘he already served the 2 months sentence, since he was arrested in October 11, 2022.”
Ten days later, on 23 February, 2023, one plain clothed intelligence officer and a uniformed police illegally detained Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) while at Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu, where he was attending a public consultation event organized by the Senate finance committee.
On 26 February, 2023, the regional Police commander Macalin Mahdi escorted by heavily armed police stormed Mogadishu central Prison, where SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin is held incommunicado. The commander asked to meet with Abdalle and upon meeting Abdalle was ordered “He’ll be escorted to meet with Judge Salah Sheikh Ibrahim known as Salah Dhiblawe – a judge at Somalia’s high court, at his residence.” Abdalle rejected the order, then the police tried to take him by force which created a panic situation in the prison and the stand off ended almost 9:30pm.
Somali Media fraternity condemn the continued persecution and the illegal arrest against the SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, whose situation is similar to “hostage situation” and call for his immediate and unconditional release.
Abdalle’s illegal arrest and continued persecution is an attack against all Somali media fraternity and a chilling reminder to the media fraternity, some of whom already gone under self-censorship following government’s directive on October 8.
Somali Media fratenity call for Somalia’s international partners to publicly condemn the continued persecution and the illegal arrest against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and call upon the government to unconditionally release him.