Hiiraan Online
By Shafi’i Mohyaddin
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
The Somali independent media houses association (SIMHA), a local watch dog which advocates for the rights of journalists in the lawless country, said it was deeply concerned about the recalling of journalist Mohamed Bare to the headquarters of the Somali intelligence agency.
Mr. Bare, who is the director of the Mogadishu-based Radio Danan, was arrested early this month by Somali intelligence agency for publishing and broadcasting a story about a car bomb attack that seriously wounded a Somali government official in the centre of the capital Mogadishu.
According to the press statement released by the chairman of Somali independent media houses association, Mr. Hassan Ali Gessey, the journalist spent three days in the notorious intelligence agency prison in Mogadishu.
“During the three days in detention, Mohamed was extremely tortured and in the process he sustained serious head injuries in which he is currently nursing in a private hospital in Mogadishu,” Mr. Geesey said adding that Mohamed was threatened if he continued to write about the government’s failure to tighten security.
“Somali Independent Media Houses Association is calling upon the international human rights organizations and media advocacy groups to pressure the Federal government of Somalia to respect the freedom of expression and to immediately stop harassing innocent journalists,” said Mr. Gessey.
Meanwhile, SIMHA has praised the announcement made by Somalia’s information minister, Mustaf Sheikh Ali Dhuhulow, for pledged support for local radio journalist Ahmed Ismail who was seriously wounded in the Mogadishu presidential palace attack on Friday last week.
The statement said that the Radio Kulmiye journalist, who is nursing body burns, was being treated at the Darul Shifa hospital in Mogadishu.
The information minister, as well several journalists and SIMHA officials, visited the wounded journalist at hospital on Monday.
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