The United Nations Commission for Human Rights released a statement today condemning the actions of the government of Somalia for imprisoning 3 members of the press. Ghanim Alnajjar, working for the Commission wrote “Three journalists - Yusuf Abdi Gabode, Ali Abdi Din and Mohamed Omar Sheikh Ibrahim - employed by the Haatuf Media Network have been arrested and detained as a result of their work in "Somaliland." Sadly, this is not the first time the government of Somalia has detained members of the press.
A free press is imperative for the dissemination of ideas and information, and when that freedom is infringed upon; it opens the doors for great atrocities to be committed. Alnajjar notes that “Threats to journalists and media outlets constitute serious violations of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A free an independent press which does not fear any party is crucial to restoring peace and security in Somalia.” If the press can not operate without fear of government reprisal, then the news will not be accurately reported. A free and informed society is the best preventative measure against the violation of human rights.
The original article can be found
here
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