Journalist held illegally in Puntland
| Publisher | Reporters Without Borders |
| Publication Date | 8 August 2017 |
| Cite as | Reporters Without Borders, Journalist held illegally in Puntland, 8 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59b290ae4.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Also known as Omar Dheere, Omar Ali Hassan was arrested for no apparent reason in Garowe, Puntland's capital, on 6 August and is being held in a prison in the southern part of the city without being charged.
A reporter for the Horseed Media news website and member of the Media Association of Puntland, he had posted comments critical of Puntland's president and parliament on social networks shortly before his arrest.
"We firmly condemn the arbitrary arrest and continuing detention of Omar Ali Hassan, who just did his job as a journalist, and we call on the authorities to free him at once as no formal charge has been brought against him," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk.
Puntland has acquired its own institutions since declaring its autonomy in 1998 and its 2012 constitution guarantees media freedom, but RSF has noted frequent media closures and abuses against journalists, who are subjected to intimidation by government officials with complete impunity.
