Dublin, Ireland, January 8, 2007 – Armed police stormed the headquarters of Haatuf Media Network, in Hargeysa city on 2 January and arrested the Editor-in-Chief, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and the Editor, Ali Abdi Dini for allegedly publishing an article “insulting the President of the republic of Somaliland and his wife.”

Reportedly, about forty police officers in uniforms and in plain clothes, armed with both side arms and AK 47 guns forcefully entered the building and carried out an unsystematic ransacking of the premises, brutally beating up anybody who asked for an explanation or proper documentation, smashing at least two cameras and finally dragging both men from the building.

The Somaliland network for civil society organizations a statement, said: “It was deeply disturbed by the growing intimidation, manhandling and incarceration of news people, as well as the blatant destruction and vandalism on media properties now carried out so openly by the Somaliland government security organs without the least regard to the national constitution and other moderating laws of the Republic of Somaliland.”

The Haatuf Media Network was established in Somaliland in November 2001 by a group of journalists who wanted a different level of engagement with journalism as they felt “deprived of an institution that would enable them to practice their profession with dignity and editorial independence.” The network publishes a number of newspapers, including the Somali language daily newspaper, Haatuf, the weekly English newspaper, Somaliland Times and the Arabic weekly, Al-Haatuf Al-Arabi.

Front Line condemns this direct contravention of fundamental human rights and calls for Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and Ali Abdi Dini immediate and unconditional release. Front Line also calls the authorities to guarantee physical and psychological integrity whilst in detention and take all measures to and ensure that all human rights defenders in Somaliland, carrying out their legitimate work in human rights, are able to operate free of all restrictions and harassment.

Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, but has not been internationally recognized. It has maintained relative peace and stability while southern Somalia has sunk further into violence and chaos.

Source: Frontline.org