Somaliland Police Beat Journalist in Hargeysa

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) strongly condemns the
violations against journalist which continues in Somalia as Somaliland
police has beaten seriously a Television journalist in Hargeysa.

Mohamed Abdi Kahin aka Boosh, who works for both a Somali new website
Ramaas and Royal Television 24  respectively, was seriously beaten by
Somaliland police on Thursday Oct. 27, 2011 at Shacabka neighborhood
in Hargeysa, in proud daylight.  The police accused the journalist for
taking recently published photographs.

"When I was seriously beaten, I requested them to take to the police
station." Mohamed Abdi Kahin told NUSOJ, "But they refused me to file
even my case to the police."

"We condemn the strongest terms possible and call for the Somaliland
authorities to investigate the case thoroughly and stop the harassment
of the journalists and the obstruction of the freedom of the
expression." Mohamed Ibrahim, the Secretary General of the National
Union of Somali Journalists said, "It is unlawful and inhuman to beat
a journalist or any other human what so ever the circumstance might be
and the violations against journalists in Somaliland has to end."

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) documented at least a
dozen press freedom cases in Somaliland. NUSOJ asks for the United
Nations, Human rights Organizations and press freedom groups to
intervene the worsening and the climate for journalists in Somaliland
and the rest of the Somalia.