Voice of Peace director Awke Abdullahi Ali was reportedly freed because his health had declined sharply while in detention.
(RSF/IFEX) – 30 April 2012 – Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that the authorities of the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland released radio Voice of Peace director Awke Abdullahi Ali on 28 April after holding him for 57 days in the region’s capital, Bossasso, without bringing any charges against him.
“This is good news but it should not be allowed to divert attention from the fact that journalists working in Puntland are constantly exposed to the threat of arbitrary arrest,” Reporters Without Borders said.
Fellow journalists said Ali was freed because his health had declined sharply while in detention. He has a heart ailment and will now undergo medical tests. As he left prison, Ali said he would never abandon commitment as a journalist to defending the community.
