Hargeisa (Hubaal) – The trial and sentencing of Haatuf and Somaliland Times reporters has caused a great uproar in Somaliland with many of the community’s political and religious leaders denouncing the trial and the sentence.
One of these leaders was UCID’s presidential candidate Jamal Ali Hussein. Here is an excerpt from what he said at a press conference:
I was present at the hearing before last. These hearings and the judgment reached have no legal basis. The press law should have been applied. The journalists did not beat or kill anyone. Ignoring Somaliland’s press law and treating them as criminals is itself a violation of the law. If the government does not follow the law, we will all become lawless, and the government will be lawless. They were afraid of people demonstrating so they brought Yusuf Abdi Gabobe by himself early in the morning, convicted him and took him away, before anybody could get there. The government has gone beyond imprisoning only journalists and is arresting opposition members too. They have arrested Halimo Osman Rage, the head of UCID’s women wing. They refused to let us see her. UCID’s head of sports, Jiir Ali Madoobe, was also jailed. This is unacceptable.”
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