Wednesday February 2, 2022
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Media Association (SOMA) calls Galmudug authorities to investigate its Darwish police force for the raid on Sooyaal TV and Radio, a local independent media station in Abudwak town, Galgadud region, and beating and detaining its director Mahad Bashir Osman for interviewing a group of police officers who went on strike on Sunday due to unpaid salaries.
Around midday on Sunday 30 January, heavily armed Darwish Force raided the radio station, beat and detained the director of the radio Mahad Bashir Osman. Mahad and two other colleagues told SJS and SOMA that Officers first broke into the main gate of the premises before getting their way into the on-air studio and ordered suspension of the live programme.
“They started beating and kicking me. Their commander, whom I can recall his name as Tiigare, told me that I was under arrest. As they were kicking me they blindfolded me and put me on their police pick-up truck. I could not see where they took me,” Mahad said.
Mahad was taken to a bushy area on the outskirts of Abudwak town and was held for four hours under a tree which he saw when his eyes were uncovered. “The Darwish Force officers continued interrogating me and harassing me until 6pm and after that they transferred me to the police station with my legs chained,” Mahad added.
He was freed on Monday 31 January without charges.
According to Mahad and colleagues, the armed officers confiscated external hard-drives and memory cards used to record video interviews from the officers on strike and also damaged a desktop computer and chairs inside the studio.