Mogadishu (Sunatimes) The Federation of the Somali Journalists is condemning the arrest of two local journalists from an independent radio station in Mogadishu on Sunday.

Mr. Abdirashid Omar Qase, the director of Shabelle radio, and the station’s head of the news room, Abdi Osmail, were arrested on 27 June,  after responding to a warrant letter issued last week by Somalia’  National Security Agency (NSA)

‘There was a letter from the National Security Agency last week demanding the director and Abdi Osmail show up at NSA headquarters, and today they were arrested after responding to the call,’ said Mohamed Bashir, a colleague at the station .

According to a report posted on the Shabelle’s news website a commentary about Somali president’s visits to frontline areas where his forces are fighting the Islamist rebels who still control much of the country might have been behind the arrests

“The arrests of the two journalists are intolerable,” said Mohamed Olad Hassan, FESOJ chairman. “We strongly protest this latest violation against freedom of press, and demand the immediate release of the journalists”.

 FESOJ is again calling for the Transitional Federal Government to respect the universal rights of the Freedom of Expression and immediately intervene and order the release of the journalists. Said the chairman

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