Hargeisa (SD) – The Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) in a statement today condemned the arrest of Ilyas Abdi Ali, a journalist working for Radio Ergo in Hargeisa.

“The Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) strongly opposes the Somaliland government’s arrest of Ilyas Abdi Ali, a freelance journalist working for Radio Ergo in Hargeisa.” The statement read.

SOLJA gave details of the journalist arrest in Hargeisa Journalist “Ilyas Abdi Ali was arrested by Somaliland police near his neighborhood and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D) the same night, he has been brought before the Marodi-Jeh Regional Court this morning. Marodi-Jeh Regional Court today remanded journalist Ilyas Abdi Ali in custody for seven days pending his trial.”

Adding “The Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) considers the detention a violation of freedom of expression and the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution and the Press Law No. 27/2004.”.

The association appealed to the country’s justice system to resolve the constant freedom of speech violations by the current government “SOLJA calls on the judiciary to stop allowing the government to detain journalists for as long as they want, this is a punishment for journalists who need to be given a fair trial and be allowed to do so. they are free to defend themselves against the allegations made against them.”

Somaliland journalist and media houses despite their constitutionally protected rights have been experiencing higher than usual pressure from the current Bihi government.