Somaliland High court Chief Justice Aden Haji Ali Ahmed has in a press conference held earlier today in his chambers stated the need to adopt special law to deal with cases involving the press and also called for the culture of arresting journalists with impunity should cease.
“The Law dictates that no journalist shall be detained for undertaking his journalistic activities unless otherwise ordered by a competent court and this does not mean that journalists can break the law at will; all it means is that if what they have published was contrary to the Press Law, then it will be dealt according to this Law”, stated Prof. Aden Haji Ali Ahmed.
Chief Justice Aden Haji Ali Ahmed further went on to say, “For instance we have a couple of times seen the rights of journalist being breached by the police officers who have the tendency to place journalist in detention without following the proper procedures set out in the law which demands a court warrant which shall be issued by a competent court after a lawsuit has being filed a journalist.
Therefore the tendency by some officials to harass and unlawful detain of journalists t should stop immediately especially the unsanctioned use of police to harass members of the media apparent disregard of the civil regime set out in the Press Law.
