Somaliland: Journalism is not a Crime Says HRC as the Rights Body Demands Release of Reporter Serbia

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Somaliland Journalist Omar Ali Hassan Serbia of Goobjoog Media Group in custody

Somalilandsun- The arrest of journalist Omar Serbia is unconstitutional & against the #UDHR. We call on the government to release the journalist&stop harassment.

This is per a statement released by the Hargeisa based Somaliland Human Rights Centre in which it urges the immediate and unconditional release of the journalist

On 8th July 2017, Somaliland government arrested Omar Ali Hassan Serbia, a journalist with Goobjoog Media Group, at Egal Airport #Hargeisa Immediately he disembark from Mogadishu Somalia where he had visited on fficial business.
Below verbatim excerpts of the HRC statement

Goobjoog media journalist detained in Somaliland
Human Rights Centre calls on the government of Somaliland to immediately release Omar Ali Hassan Serbia, a journalist with Goobjoog Media.
Omar was detained on 8th July from Egal Airport, Hargeisa, after he returned from Mogadishu where the media he works for is based.
Omar is detained in undisclosed location and his family is unable to meet him. He is not brought to court as mandated by the law. Omar is not charged of any crime and the government has not stated the reason of his detention.
Article 32 (3) of the Constitution says “The press and other media are part of the fundamental freedoms of expression and are independent. All acts to subjugate them are prohibited, and a law shall determine their regulation,”

Human Rights Centre is very concerned of the detention of journalists and application of the criminal law over the journalists, a practice contrary to the Constitution and the Press Law of Somaliland.
Human Rights Centre calls on the government to release Omar.

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Guleid Ahmed Jama
Chairperson of Human Rights Centre, Hargeisa Somaliland, webstie: http://www.hrcsomaliland.org/
Mobile: +252 63 4468227 Email: dafac02@hotmail.com
Blog: http://guleidjama.blogspot.com
Twitter: @GuleidJ

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.??? Article 1 of the UDHR