Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Press release
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Arab Network for Human Rights Information
(ANHRI) strongly denounces the ongoing assassination processes against
the media professionals and journalists by gunmen in Somalia on the
background of their peaceful opinions. The number of journalists and
media professionals who were killed since the beginning of 2013 amounted
to six, after assassinating Eng. Ahmed Sherif, technical director of
Radio and TV in Somalia by unknown attackers.
Ahmed Sherif was killed last Saturday, nearby his house in Mogadishu
after two unknown attackers shot him. He was taken to the hospital
immeditly but the doctors were able to minister him.
It is reported that Ahmed Sherif was killed few hours after the
authorities executed Adan Sheikh Abdi, the only defendant that convicted
of murdering a journalist in a plaza. Adan Sheikh Abdi was convicted of
killing the Somalian journalist Hassan Yusuf Absuge in September 2012.
Targeting the journalists and media professionals in Somalia is
systematically by the armed groups amid the state's failure to provide
them with protection. In 2012, as to eighteen journalists and media
professionals were killed, while six ones were killed in 2013 so far.
ANHRI states that the Somalian authorities should undermine the armed
groups that target the journalists and to provide the protection
necessary for all the journalists and media professionals who are
vulnerable to killing because they work in the field of media.
ANHRI demanded from the Somalian authorities to conduct an urgent
investigation over killing Ahmed Sherif and detect the doers to be
brought to a trial.