Somaliland Court Sentences Reporter to Three-Year Jail Term

Somaliland Court Sentences Reporter to Three-Year Jail Term

Berbera — Mr. Mohamed Said "Harago," editor of Berberanews.com, was sentenced to serve three years in jail by a Somaliland judge on Monday. He is not currently in jail, but Judge Osman Ibrahim Fanah ordered Somaliland police to immediately arrest Mr. Harago.

Separately, Mr. Yasin Jama Ali, a reporter for Berberanews.com and a stringer for the independent station Radio Horyaal, was charged with defamation of Somaliland public officials, including posting negative articles about the mayor of Berbera, a port city along the Gulf of Aden.

Mr. Ali, who defended himself in court by saying that the posted articles were readers' opinions, was ordered to immediately stop his journalism work and a ban was placed on the news site, Berberanews.com.

Somaliland's government has taken measures against the independent media in recent weeks, ahead of the presidential elections slated for September 27, 2009. Journalists have been arrested and independent radio and television stations have been shut down.

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