MOGADISHU, October 3, 2008 (SOJRA)  - The Somali Journalist Rights Agency - SOJRA - condemns the September 17 arrest and continued detention of  the Somali web journalist Abdikani Isma'il Goh.

The journalist was arrested after the head of Somali Red Crescent (SRC) in the northern city of Las Anod, Daakir Ali Nuur, submitted to police a complaint against Abdikani Isma'il Goh, regarding news report on SRC’s food distribution that the journalist published on the internet. In the news report concerning residents protesting how the food was distributed.

The head of the police, who presented to Goh a copy of this news report the journalist published, also accused him of not having press accreditation from the Somaliland Ministry of Information to work as a journalist in Las Anood.

The arrest of Goh was ordered by the chief of the Somaliland police division in Las Anood, Mr Abdi Muse. When SOJRA contacted Goh in the prison&nbs, the journalist said a police officer told him the SRC head in Las Anod was behind the order.

"We denounced the detention of our colleague Abdikani Isma'il Goh and we demand his immediate and unconditional release”, said Awale Jama Salad SOJRA's Puntland representative.

Recently Somaliland police in Las Anod also arrested two Radio Las Anod journalists, namely Abdiasis Suleiman Ahmed and Mohamed Ali Elmi, for being against the policy of the Somaliland administration in Las Anod.