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The Somali Journalists Union (SJS) welcomes the release of independent journalist Kilwe Adan Farah from Garowe prison on Monday, March 22, 2021, following the Puntland President’s decree to grant a special clemency.
While we welcome the freedom of our colleague, It is important to note that Kilwe has not committed any crime and should not have been arrested in the first place. He was illegally detained by the Puntland Security and Intelligence Agency (PISA) on December 27, 2020, a day after he reported an anti-inflation protest in Garowe that angered Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni. He was detained for 84 days in jail, during which 16 of them he was held incommunicado, just for covering the anti-inflationary protest in Garowe.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence against Kilwe for the charges brought against him by military prosecutors, which completely changes from ‘attempted murder and murder’ to media-related offenses, the Puntland military court convicted Kilwe two times on March 3 and 17, 2021 respectively.
“I am glad to be released today. I’m fine and back to my family. I thank SJS and their attorneys Avv. Mustafe Mohamed Jama and attorney Michael Polak for their long efforts for my freedom, ”Kilwe told SJS shortly after his release from Garowe Central Prison.
Kilwe’s family also thanked SJS, local and international friends for the advocacy campaign seeking Kilwe’s freedom.
Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, General Secretary of the Somalia Union of Journalists (SJS) said:
“While we take the decree of the President of Puntland to pardon our colleague Kilwe as a welcome gesture, we reiterate that he has not committed any crime and, as stated by the court on several occasions, he remains innocent. First of all, it shouldn’t have been stopped. We call on the Puntland authorities to immediately begin investigating those who detained, tortured and abused Kilwe through the military judicial process.
“No one is above the law and officials who have committed these serious human rights violations against Kilwe must be held accountable. The Puntland authorities must also refrain from attacking and detaining journalists and media workers, even if they are critical of the state’s actions. Somalia and its federal member states cannot develop if our press cannot inform the public about what is happening ”.
Avv. Mustafe Mohamed Jama, who represented Kilwe in court, said:
“I am relieved that my client Kilwe is free today. He was detained solely for the performance of his work as a journalist and, despite having no evidence, he has witnessed a prolonged period of judicial harassment and continuous non-compliance with the law ”.
International lawyer Michael Polak, who was part of the team that helped in the Kilwe case, said:
“It is great that Kilwe is now free and back with his family. However, it should be recalled that he was arrested for his media work, held incommunicado in a clandestine illegal detention center, and then subjected to a process that was a sham, including an appeal that was heard in his cell in the prison without a lawyer. Kilwe should not have spent the last three months away from his family in a precarious position and the international community must do more to protect press freedom throughout Somalia. ”
