Kaab TV journalist Amiro Sulaiman Ibrahim and Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman from Five Somali TV were violently arrested by armed police officers reportedly led by Captain Jamilo Faradar. The officers beat Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman before forcing her into a police vehicle.

Both journalists told SJS that they were taken to Dayniile police station, where they were detained before being released later in the afternoon.

Although the two reporters were freed, police confiscated their equipment. Kaab TV reported that its camera equipment, including a camera, microphones, and a memory card, has still not been returned.

The journalists witnessed police opening fire on civilians, resulting in deaths and injuries, the station said.

On Wednesday night, armed police officers from Hamar Jajab Police Station raided the home of Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman and rearrested her. A colleague told SJS that officers beat Iqro before taking her to the police station, where she remains in detention.

“We strongly condemn the arrest of two women journalists, Amiro Sulaiman Ibrahim of Kaab TV and Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman of Five Somali TV. We also condemn the physical assault of Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin. “We call for respect for press freedom, the protection of journalists, and the immediate return of the camera equipment confiscated from Kaab TV.”

“Last night, police raided the residence of Iqro Abdullahi Abdirahman and beat her before rearresting her. These attacks are a blatant violation of media freedom and the safety of journalists, particularly women journalists working in an already dangerous environment,” Mr. Mumin added.

The post Somali Police Assault Women Journalists, Arrest Them and Confiscate Camera Equipment in Mogadishu appeared first on Kaab TV.

We strongly condemn the reported threats against journalists who expressed interest in covering the planned opposition-led demonstration scheduled for Saturday.

On Wednesday, 24 September, a dozen journalists faced serious risks to their safety when they accompanied leaders of the opposition, the Somali Salvation Forum, to the Warta Nabadda police station in Mogadishu. The opposition members and accompanying media crews came under gunfire that left at least two people dead and seven others injured, according to media reports. While no journalists were killed, a female journalist, Shukri Aabi Abdi, told SJS that she sustained minor facial bruises as she crawled to safety while seeking shelter.

At least five local media outlets reported losing journalistic equipment as their reporters fled during the attack.

On Thursday, 25 September, the Speaker of the Lower House of the Somali Federal Parliament, Aden Mohamed Nur (Sheikh Aden Madobe), blocked a dozen local journalists who were waiting for his press briefing during his visit to the Warta Nabadda police station. The journalists were kept outside, prevented from reporting, and were warned by armed soldiers not to point their cameras toward the station. Another female reporter from a local TV station told SJS that journalists were held there for more than two hours.

Meanwhile, on Friday, SJS received reports from at least five journalists who said they were prepared to cover the opposition-announced demonstration in Mogadishu on Saturday. The demonstration was called by the Somali Salvation Forum in response to Wednesday’s attack and to protest the ongoing forced evictions affecting Mogadishu residents.

Somali government officials, including Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, publicly denounced the planned protest and warned the public against participation.  However, opposition leaders have insisted that the demonstration — which they described as “peaceful” — will go ahead as planned.

“We condemn the violent attack in Mogadishu on Wednesday, which resulted in loss of lives and endangered the safety of journalists as well as many civilians. The repeated targeting, intimidation, and blocking of journalists in Mogadishu is unacceptable and poses a grave threat to press freedom,” said Abdalle Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). “Journalists must be able to report freely and safely, especially on matters of public interest such as opposition activities and demonstrations. We call on the Somali authorities to immediately end these acts of repression and to guarantee the safety and protection of all media workers.”

The post Journalists’ Safety Gravely Undermined During Opposition Coverage in Mogadishu – SJS appeared first on Kaab TV.