Mogadishu (SD) – Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled has congratulated the Somali media on the long-awaited amendment of the media law signed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo).

Mahdi Mohamed Guled attending the announcement ceremony of the media law, has made it clear that the law, which has been extensively consulted and reviewed, will do more to address the plight of the media community and define the broader responsibilities of the media community.

“As a lawyer and my personal opinion, I do not understand why a journalist would be criminally charged, it should be prohibited to criminally arraign a journalist” said PM Mahdi Guled.

The media law signed by the president today was first drafted 14 years ago, and passed parliament in 2008, but parts of it were questioned by the media, which led to the launch of a comprehensive review in 2013, approved again by parliament in 2015, and signed by the former president Hassan Sheikh in 2016.

In 2017, the review was rescheduled and 11 of the 15 articles questions by the media were revised, it was finally approved by the parliament and the upper house, and signed by the president.

Today’s media law has been widely criticized by the media, as the Ministry of Information has a significant powers in regulating Media in the country.