Journalist must be released

Abdimalik was born in Somaliland. He is a journalist and a social media activist. He has a massive following on Facebook where he shares social, cultural, political stories. He advocates for human rights and is vocal on government policies. Mohamed Sadiiq Dhame and Jamal Abdi Muhamed were both sentenced and fined as punishment. Shortly after the first Urgent Action, they were released after paying their fines.

The autonomous Somaliland regional state has a horrible record of persecuting journalists and those expressing criticism of regional state government or President Muse Bihi has increased in recent years. In 2019, authorities raided and shut down at least three media houses, and arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted individuals perceived to be critical of government policies, including poets, journalists and opposition politicians. The Human Rights Centre, a local organization, said that 88 people, including 26 journalists, were arrested last year for exercising their rights to freely express themselves.