A Somali journalist was abducted from his home by intelligence agents early on Friday, according to press freedom campaigners.
The journalists’ union Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said the detention of Abduqadir Mohamed Nur was a “brazen attack” on the reporter and his news outlet, Risaala Media Corporation, for critical reporting of state security forces.
Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the union’s secretary general, called for the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) to release Nur, who SJS said was taken to a detention facility known for torture.
Mumin said: “We demand an independent investigation into the circumstances of this illegal act, holding those responsible accountable for violating the rights of journalists and the principles of justice.”
The head of Risaala Media Corporation, Mohamed Abduwahab, said he condemned “the abduction and unlawful actions” against Nur, who is known as “Jakarta”.
SJS said Risaala and Nur’s family had reported armed men arriving at his house at 3am on Friday to detain him and confiscate his phone and laptop.
It said that this followed the arrest of other Risaala employees, who have reported critically on the security forces under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The arrest threatened the press and the public’s access to independent reporting, it said.
The Guardian reported that the journalist AliNur Salaad had been arrested in July after similar reporting on the security forces and there have been several claims of attacks on press freedom since.
In August, SJS criticised attacks on journalists covering protests in Mogadishu over the cost of living. It also reported the disappearance of the journalist Ali Mohammed Ahmed (known as Ali Shujac) after he was taken away by plainclothes police officers while conducting public interviews.
In July, the journalist Said Abdullahi Kulmiye was arrested for reporting on incidents of police and armed men demanding bribes at checkpoints, while the journalists Sharma’arke Abdi Mahdi and Abdinur Hayi Hashi said they were shot at by four police officers in the town of Dhobley in May.
The World Press Freedom Index ranks Somalia 145th out of 180 countries for journalists’ ability to report freely and independently.
Aside from attacks on journalists, press freedom groups have argued against a proposed information law, which the government says is designed to reduce leaks and improve the confidentiality of sources.
Campaigners say it would reduce the ability of journalists to investigate and report on matters of public interest.
“This could easily be misused to shield government activities from scrutiny, eroding the fundamental right to information and enabling potential abuses of power,” said a letter from regional and international press freedom campaigners, including the International Federation of Journalists.
