Hargeisa- 7th January 2018- Xarunta Xuquuqal Insaanku wxaay canbaaraynaysaa xukunka la saaray laba suxufi oo kala ah Maxamed Cabdilaahi Dabshid iyo Axmed Diiriye Ciiltire.
Maxkamadda Gobolka ee fadhigeedu yahay Borama ayaa maanta ku xukunta labada suxufi midkiiba labo sano oo xadhiga ah oo ay kaga xukuntay eedo loo soo jeediyay oo ah “dacaayad ka dhan ah Qaranka, ceebayn Qaranka, iyo ceebayn calanka ama asaanta qaran ee dal shisheeye,” sida uu noo sheegay qareenka suxufiyiinta oo magaciisa la yidhaahdo Abiibakar Shiikh Maxamuud. Qareenku wuxuu sheegay inuu ka rafcaan qaadanayo xukunka.
Xafiiska Xeer-ilaalinta ayaa isna ogaysiiyay Maxkamadda inuu ka rafcaan qaadan doono, sida uu noo sheegay qareenka iyo dad goob joog ahaa.
Eedaha loo jeediyay labada suxufi waxaay xidhiidh la leeyihiin qoraal la sheegay in lagu qoray shabakadda xeegonews. Qoraalkaas oo la sheegay inay ku jirtay eed ah in lagu tabo baro maleeshiyo Itoobiyaan ah gudaha gobolka Awdal, sida ku qoran xaashida eedda. Xarunta Xuquuqal Insaanka umay suurtagelin inay aragto qoraalka lagu daabacay shabakadda.
Sida qareenku noo sheegay, Maxamed Cabdilaahi Dabshid oo ka tirsan Kalsan TV wuxuu ku dooday inaanu isagu u shaqayn oo wax ku qorin shabakadda, halka Axmed Diiriye Ciiltire uu sheegay inaanu isagu ahayn ka ku qoray qoraalka la isku haysto shabakadda.
Sadex suxufi oo kale ayay dacwadi kaga socotaa magaalooyinka Berbera iyo Gabiley.
“Aad baanu uga walaacsanahay dacwadaha sii badanaya ee lagu soo oogayo suxufiyinta. Xaruntu hore umay arag tiro intan leeg oo suxufiyiin xukuman ah. Sadex suxufi ayaa hada xabsi ku jira,” ayuu yidhi Guleid Ahmed Jama, gudoomiyaha Xarunta Xuquuqal Insaanka.
Wuxuu ku daray “Dastuurka iyo Xeerka Saxaafaddu way cad yihiin. Looma ogola masuuliyiintu inay u isticmaalaan xeer ciqaabeed warbaahinta. Suxufinimadu dembi maaha. Waxaanu ka codsanaynaa dawladda Somaliland inay sii dayso suxufiyiintaas oo ay joojiso falalka ka dhanka ah suxufiyinta.”
Guleid Ahmed Jama
Gudoomiyaha Xarunta Xuquuqal Insaanka
Hargeisa Somaliland
Email: hrcsomaliland@gmail.com
1/2017 7th January 2018
Somaliland: court jails two journalists for 2 years
Hargeisa- 7th January 2018- The Human Rights Centre today condemned the conviction and sentencing of journalists Mohamed Abdilahi Dabshid, a journalist at Kalsan TV, and Ahmed Dirie Iiltire of SBC television and Xeegonews.
A regional court in Borama sentenced the two journalists today, 7th January 2018, to two years in jail on charges of “subversive and anti-national propaganda, bringing the Nation or the State into contempt, and bringing into contempt the flag or national emblem of a foreign state”, Abibakar Sheikh Mohamoud, the lawyer of the journalists, told Human Rights Centre. The lawyer said he will appeal against the judgment.
The Office of Attorney General also informed the court that they are planning to appeal, according to the lawyer and sources who were on the court at the time the judgment was delivered.
The charges are linked to articles allegedly published in Xeegonews website claiming that Ethiopian militias are trained in Awdal region, according to the charge sheet. Human Rights Centre was not able to review the alleged article.
According to their lawyer, Mohamed Abdilahi Dabshid, a journalist at Kalsan TV, argues that he does not work and write on Xeegonews website while Ahmed Dirie Iiltire argues that it is not him who published the article in question.
Journalist Mohamed Adan Dirir who was sentenced by the court on 8th October 2017 to 18 months in jail on charges of criminal defamation and publishing false news is also in Hargeisa Prison. The Appeal Court upheld his conviction.
Another three journalists are currently facing prosecutions in Berbera and Gabiley.
“We are extremely worried the increasing prosecution of journalists. Human Rights Centre never recorded more convictions than this. Three journalists are in prison right now,” says Guleid Ahmed Jama, the chairperson of Human Rights Centre.
“The Constitution and the Press Law are clear. The authorities are not allowed to use the criminal law on media issues. Journalism is not a crime,” he added.
“We are asking the government officials to release the journalists immediately and stop the actions against the journalists,” he said.
Guleid Ahmed Jama
Chairperson of Human Rights Centre
Hargeisa Somaliland