Houssein Ahmed Farah was arrested on 8 August and has been held since 11 August in the capital’s Gabode prison despite his poor health and the lack of evidence for any of the charges against him.
(RSF/IFEX) – 20 November 2012 – Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that the journalist Houssein Ahmed Farah was finally released on 18 November after being held without trial for more than three months.
“Farah has finally been let out of jail thanks to the determination of his lawyer, Zakaria Abdillahi, who submitted a weekly release request that was unsuccessful until this week, when it was granted,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
“While it is a relief to know he is no longer in prison, his release is conditional and he is still under judicial control. We call for the withdrawal of all the charges against him. We continue to be worried by the way the judicial authorities are handling his case. We are also disturbed by the attempts to intimidate his lawyer.”
A reporter for La Voix de Djibouti, an exile news website, Farah was arrested on 8 August and had been held since 11 August in the capital’s Gabode prison despite his poor health and the lack of evidence for any of the charges against him.
He is accused of evading judicial control and distributing “forged” voter cards on behalf of a political party dissolved by presidential decree.
