Somaliland detains journalist at airport amid shrinking press freedom

Serbiya is a producer of arts and literature programs at Mogadishu-based local cable Astan TV which is owned by Fahad Yasin and Farah Abdulkadir, two influential Somali politicians.

News Keydmedia Online
5 June 2022

HARGEISA, Somalia – The security forces at Hargeisa airport in the self-declared republic of Somaliland have arrested a journalist upon his arrival from Mogadishu, the Somali capital on Sunday morning.

Omar Serbiya confirmed his arrest on a Facebook post without providing further details about the reason.

Somaliland police did not release any statement regarding the journalist’s detention which comes a month after the breakaway region officials put in jail over 10 TV reporters for covering a jail shooting.

Serbiya is a producer of arts and literature programs at Mogadishu-based local cable Astan TV which is owned by Fahad Yasin and Farah Abdulkadir, two influential Somali politicians.

It’s the second time the journalist is being detained in Somaliland since July 2017. He frequently travels to Hargeisa city, where he hails from and his family is living, according to his colleagues at Astaan TV.

Somaliland which claims to have seceded from Somalia in 1991 been imposing increasing restrictions on press freedom and independent journalists it deemed against its self-declared independence. 

Somalia is ranked one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist due to the lack of security and endless conflict that shrinks liberty for critical voices and independent journalism.

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