The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the unlawful raid and abduction of SJS member journalist Abduqadir Mohamed Nur (Jakarta), who was forcibly taken from his home in Boondheere district by armed personnel from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in the early morning of Friday 18 October, according to family members and the management of Risaala Media Corporation.
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According to the director of Risaala Media Corporation, Mohamed Abduwahab Abdullahi, armed men from NISA arrived at the journalist’s house at around 3:00 AM on Friday, 18 October, and kidnapped the journalist. A family member saw two NISA officers enter the house and handcuffed the journalist, while several others were stationed outside in a Toyota 4WD vehicle equipped with machine guns.
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The men who entered the journalist’s house confiscated the journalist’s phone and his personal laptop, Risaala Media Corporation’s director told SJS.
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“The management of Risaala Media condemns the abduction and unlawful actions taken against journalist Abduqadir Mohamed Nur (known as Jakarta) and demands his immediate release,” said Risaala Media’s general director, Mohamed Abduwahab.
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On Friday morning, SJS was informed by a security source that the journalist was held in the notorious Godka Jila’ow, a torture and detention facility run by NISA in Mogadishu.
NISA officials did not, however, respond to SJS calls seeking response on the abduction of the journalist and the raid on his house.
Risaala Media Corporation, which operates Radio Risaala and its affiliated Risaala TV, has been a critical voice regarding Somali security services in Mogadishu and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration. In the past several of Risaala journalists and staff were detained, as per SJS documentations.
This brazen attack against the Risaala Media Corporation journalist in the safety of his home, in the middle of the night, in the presence of his family, is a clear violation of press freedom and his human rights. The use of force by state security agents to silence members of the press not only threatens the safety of individual journalists but undermines the right of the public to access free and independent information.
“We call on the Somali authorities, specifically NISA, to immediately release our colleague Abduqadir Jakarta and guarantee his safety. Furthermore, 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,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.