Somali based journalist Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye has been jailed six months for comments he made on social media about Covid-19.
Gurbiye was convicted for his Facebook posts, critical of the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
He is the chief editor and deputy director of the independent Goobjoog Media Group based in Mogadishu.
His lawyer said he was charged with publication of false news and insulting the political administration and the judicial body.
On April 14, police arrested him after he responded to a summons to appear at the Hodan Police Station in Mogadishu.
According to the CPJ, Gurbiye appeared in a Mogadishu court in April, where state prosecutors alleged that he had spread false news and offended the honor of the president.
On his his personal pageExternal link and on “Gurbiye OfficialExternal link,” a page that he manages, he alleged that the government had mismanaged its COVID-19 response.
The journalist then criticized President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo for the mess he talked about.
One of the postsExternal link alleges that the president took away a ventilator donated to a local hospital.
Then another post also alleged a lack of drugs at the same local hospital and corruption on the part of public officials.
The posts on his personal Facebook page have since been taken off.
His arrest at the time was condemned by various rights groups who demanded his release from detention.
According to local media Gurbiye has been transferred to Mogadishu central prison.
Source: Africafeeds.com
