Somaliland starts legal proceedings against newspaper

According to information received by NUSOJ, Hargeisa regional court started legal proceedings against top management of Hargeisa Star newspaper on behalf of the Somaliland Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Presidential Affair as well as the Director of Berbera Seaport.

The Hargeisa Regional Court started the hearing of this case early August. The accused individuals are Mohamed Abdirahman Garyare, chairman of newspaper, and Said Ismail Gurase, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and the new chairman of Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) Hassan Mohamed Yusuf who was that time the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

"We are very concerned at a surge in legal proceedings against journalists and private newspapers in Somaliland," said Omar Faruk Osman. "Somaliland must stop reducing journalists and the private press into silence".

It's a question of "false news"

On 6 August, the court hearing continued. Somaliland Presidential Affairs Minister Hirsi Ali Haji Hassan said, through the regional prosecutor, that the newspaper published last month a news report, which cited "mismanagement of more than 500 000 American dollars by the Minister Hassan".

Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs, is saying through the regional prosecutor that the newspaper staffers hacked in his email and obtained sensitive information which the newspaper published last week. But the newspaper argues that the Minister provided them the information they published.

Ahmed Yusuf Dirir, director of Berbera Seaport, also complained that the newspaper published "false news" regarding reports stating that businessmen are complaining about services and the director demanding illegal money from businessmen.

The regional prosecutor is asking the judge to force the newspaper to provide evidence for their news reports.

"Somaliland authorities are doing everything they can to suffocate the key impulses of journalists and to make life difficult for the private print press," added Omar.

The court hearing continues as the two ministers and the director of Berbera Seaport are accompanying Somaliland President Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo to a trip to China.

Source: APO