MOGADISHU, Somalia 15 October 2022 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Association (SOMA), Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) and  Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSG) call for the Somali government to stop the interference and pressure on the Somali judiciary, especially the judges and the prosecutors to press trump-up charges against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSG). We call for his  unconditional release.

According to our sources, in the morning of October 15, 2022 senior government officials were trying to influence the judiciary asking the judges hearing Abdalle’s case to ensure that he gets sentenced on trump-up charges.

Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Somali Media Association (SOMA), Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) and Somali Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSG) are alarmed by these latest developments and condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms, while we call for the unconditional release of our colleague.

The groups are also urging the judiciary to remain independent and be free from any kind of interference from politicians and government officials.